Lest you fade here all alone
by Syluk
Summary: The world could handle only one Naruto Uzumaki, therefore he was ready to relinquish his rights to the name. He was so much more than just Naruto Uzumaki now. A ghost of the future that would never come. (Time Travel AU, ridiculously OP/BAMF, chaotic good/semi-dark!Future Naruto 'Rei', Uzushio revival fic) SLOW UPDATES
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

I'm publishing this completely on a whim. And in some tiny hope to hype myself of writing an update for my other stories, because my mind is drawing a blank for them. It's so hot where I live at the moment, I think my brain is starting to melt. So, my apologies for the poor quality, but this idea was stalking me for quite some time now and I'll make this into my relax story. Don't expect super serious plot, it's just my way to have fun by smacking overpowered Naruto into the middle of everything and see what happens. Also, to satiate my need of writing fluff. 'Cause little Naruto deserves hugs and hair ruffles and head pats and just be loved and feel needed!

 **Warning:** this story is more character-driven with a big focus on family/friendship and character interactions rather than action.

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 **English is not my first language. This is not betaed either.**

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 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 1

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Naruto was perched on the edge of the two storey building's roof, half-hidden in the shadow of its chimney. One of his legs was dangling in the air while the other was folded with his arm resting against its knee. His cheek sat in his palm as he observed the district in front, his usually bright azure orbs now lackluster and distant.

After a moment, Naruto's folded leg slipped down and he heaved a deep sigh, leaning backward on both his arms. A frown found its way onto his brow and the blue eyes briefly flashed red as the anger rose like a tidal wave inside him.

He was too late! All the years of research, all those sleepless nights, all the preparations, all the power that he poured to make this happen, and he arrived too late!

Well, not exactly _too late_ , but he would have preferred much earlier. Much, much earlier. As in, in time to save his parents.

Naruto let his arms slid to the sides, sprawling on the roof with a huff. He supposed he would just have to work with what he had. Could have been worse. He should be thankful that he _had_ something to work with at all.

Uchihas were still alive. But he could feel the negativeness, the darkness, the evil festering like an infected wound, oozing blood and pus. It was too advanced already, there was no easy way to stop it now.

He scrunched his face. He wondered what would happen if he allowed the clan to have their coup. Nothing good, that was for sure. People would die. Innocent people that had no place to die in the petty squabbles between stuck-up ninja clans.

The blond abruptly sat up. Then equally abruptly jumped down from the roof, landing smoothly in a crouch on the ground and eliciting a scared yelp from a rotund woman who was unfortunate enough to walk past at that exact moment.

"My apologies," Naruto apologized with a small polite smile as he stood and dusted himself off.

The woman was now gaping at him, her mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to say something but was too shocked to squeeze a word out.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that before catching a sight of himself at the reflection of the nearby window. "Oh." He chuckled. "Right, right." He whipped his hand up and folded fingers into a half sign.

A puff of smoke and gone was a young man with brilliant azure eyes, sunshine colored hair that framed his somewhat round face, gone was his black jacket, beige pants, and short-sleeved orange haori, decorated by black flames on the edges. He was still young, but his hair was now brown and the eyes were grey while clothes changed into simple civilian attire. Nothing stood out of this man, just another unremarkable face in the crowd.

"Have a nice day," Naruto said, grinning. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and nonchalantly walked away, leaving the speechless woman behind.

There was no time or need to mope around. He was no Uchiha. He was an Uzumaki! The member from the most kickass ninja clan in history! He was also a Namikaze! The son of the most kickass ninja in history!

Naruto abruptly stopped when an idea popped into his head. A grin spread across his face. Well, _that_ was certainly an interesting idea and absolutely worth considering. As much as he loved Konoha, he was not staying here. Even if he wanted, after what he'd probably end up doing, there would be no place for him in this village.

With a start, he realized that this thought didn't sadden or unsettle him as much as he assumed it would. Huh.

Someone bumped into his legs from behind and his arm shot out to stop that someone from falling on the ground. He turned then and looked down.

A pair of charcoal black orbs stared back at him under the mess of the black hair. Naruto could almost envision the onyx bleeding into the red with only three drops of it left to spin around the pupils.

He smiled and let go of the young Uchiha's arm. The child quickly scrambled back.

"Sasuke, I told you not to run in the streets."

Naruto's gaze flicked from the tiny counterpart of his best friend to the older boy as Itachi approached. And while the latter's face was a carefully crafted blank mask, the blond noticed some of the fond exasperation and worry leaking out into the tightness around his dark eyes. So young, so virtuous. Burdened, but not yet broken.

"I'm sorry," Itachi intoned, giving Naruto a small bow and pushing his little brother's head down too. "My little brother can be careless sometimes."

"But, niisan!" the kid whined.

The preteen was having none of that. "Sasuke, apologize to this man."

As Sasuke puffed his cheeks in a self-righteous pout, Naruto's smile only grew more genuine.

If the fate proclaimed that the innocence of these two souls had to be snuffed out, then he would put his foot down and stop it. He arrived in time to do that at least.

"I'm sorry."

Naruto chuckled. The apology was delivered like an accusation as if he was at fault here. Little Sasuke was so cute. "No worries, kiddo," he assured, reaching to ruffle his hair. The way Itachi instantly tensed and went on full alert didn't slip through his keen observations. Littlest Uchiha wasn't too happy about his action either, though for different reasons.

Itachi gathered his brother, bowed one more time as he bid their goodbyes, and ushered the boy away.

Naruto watched them go, marveling at Sasuke's beaming grin pointed at his older brother and the way Itachi poked his forehead, his lips curling into a minuscule smile of his own.

Family. They were family.

His chest tightened, and the blond quickly turned around. With a scowl plastered across his features, he sauntered off.

After an hour of aimless wandering around Konoha, Naruto came upon a very strange phenomenon – the surrounding noise suddenly hushed, everyone's voices dropping into hisses and whispers, and the crowd parted like the sea in front of the saint, giving way for someone.

For someone small and blond and with his whole posture set into guarded defiance.

A woman standing right next to Naruto sneered, "What a nasty little thing, isn't it?

The man glanced at her, his expression going flat with practiced blankness almost immediately. "Really?" he drawled, sweeping the crowd with his icy gaze. He looked back at the woman and grinned. "But all I can see is a bunch of _big_ nasty things."

His grin was lazy, dark, _ravenous_ in the way only truly feral things were, and there was something innately unsettling about the way those intense eyes fixed on her. They slowly bled into glowing crimson, pupils transforming into vertical slits, leering at her. The grin stretched wider, revealing sharp, prolonged canines, and turned sharper, giving the image of being more than just slightly mad.

The woman screamed, stumbling backward from him and into the elderly man.

"Misaki! What's wrong?" the man inquired. Other people quickly surrounded them in a circle.

"He– He– He– The eyes! His eyes!"

Everyone looked at the brown-haired youth.

Naruto blinked his very normal, very common grey eyes. "Something wrong with my eyes?" he asked innocently, seemingly very confused, slightly annoyed, and definitely offended.

The woman's arms trembled, but she was still pointing at the disguised blond in accusation. "They were red! Like– Like– Like the Kyu–!"

The elderly slapped a palm on her mouth. "Are you crazy?" he hissed, shooting a nervous glance around. Then he added in a much lower voice, audible only to the woman, "You know that you can't talk about it while _that thing_ is here."

Naruto scoffed, dismissing these idiots as subjects not worth his time. He looked to the side, catching the wide-eyed gaze of his tiny counterpart from afar.

The boy leaned around the corner of the house, clutching tightly at it, as he observed the scene. He probably fled into the alley as soon as the wretched woman screamed in fright, guided by the self-preservation instinct in case someone decided to take the 'justice' in their own hands.

Naruto winked at the kid playfully.

The latter's blue eyes grew even bigger, almost threatening to just jump out of their sockets, before he ducked behind the wall and out of sight.

The man sniggered as he slipped from the crowd unnoticed and strolled to the same general direction. It was time to meet his… what? Nephew?

The corner of Naruto's mouth quirked up.

Yup. Nephew would do just fine.

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With his heart hammering in his chest, six years old Naruto peaked around the corner of the shop's door inside.

Besides the shop owner behind the counter, there were no other people.

The boy grinned. Lucky~! He walked in, winced when the old man glared. However, he didn't ask him to leave – yet – so Naruto would count that as a win.

He made his way through the shelves towards a vegetable stand. He had just learned in the pre-academy that ninja had to be healthy in body, mind, and spirit. While Naruto couldn't think how he could keep his mind and spirit healthy, he remembered Teuchi-san once mentioning that vegetables were good for growing boys.

Little blond's heart almost exploded in excitement as he zeroed on all the greenery at the back of the shop. He was going to be the best ninja of them all, 'ttebayo!

Suddenly, tin cans with tomatoes drawn on them on his left caught his attention and he halted. He knew how Sasuke Uchiha liked tomatoes. All teachers hailed that boy as a genius, so he must have known what to eat to be that good, right?

Naruto glanced at the fresh vegetables, back at the cans with pickled tomatoes, then down at its price. He pushed hand into his pocket and pulled out all the money he had. Despite knowing exactly how much he had, he still counted it again – yeah, he knew how to count, 'ttebayo!

Glancing back at the price, the boy grimaced. "Keep one's body healthy…" he muttered, taking a deep breath and snatching one tin can off the shelf. Then he trotted back to the counter.

The shop owner sneered as Naruto approached. The boy was expecting it. Though it still hurt – why did they hate him so much? – he ignored it as best as he could. Barely reaching the counter's edge, he pushed the can on top of it and waited until the old man asked for money.

The man barked out the number that was much higher than the one written on the price tag.

"But it's not right!" Naruto cried out in objection, his boisterous temper overpowering his fears. "Over there it's said–"

"That's the price for normal humans," the owner growled. "And this is the price for _your kind_! Take it or go away!"

The little Jinchuuriki stubbornly ignored the stinging in his eyes. He didn't have that kind of money! "But–"

"Just be happy that I'm selling you anything, you worthless brat!" the old man bellowed, grabbing the can and flinging it to the small boy in his unreasonable anger.

Naruto shut his eyes on instinct, coverings his head with his arms to protect it. His breath hitched as he waited for the impact, for the pain to come, for more hurtful words…

None of that happened, however.

Confused, he dared to crack open one eye and peek at the stupid man. What he saw was a hand holding the can just an inch from his face. Naruto blinked, then looked up, up, up, and his eyes widened. It was the same guy who winked at him earlier!

"Ne, old man," the stranger spoke, his lips tilted oddly into a smile that was neither friendly nor particularly reassuring, "what's up with you throwing such heavy objects at the innocent kids?"

The shop owner flustered at the unexpected appearance of another customer. "That's– He's– He's–" He motioned at Naruto, lacking any words or reasons to explain his animosity towards the child. "He's a thief!" he finished lamely.

"Reaaaaaally now?" the stranger drawled at the same time as Naruto bristled at the accusation.

"Am not!" he shouted indignantly. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! And I'm gonna become the Hokage, 'ttebayo!"

The boy spun on his heel and sprinted out of the shop. His eyes watered again, but he brushed the tears away angrily. He would never buy vegetables ever again! If he had to, he was going to live out of instant ramen to the end of days!

As the small blond disappeared, the stranger turned back to the shop owner, his mouth stretching into a grin that appeared way too predatory to be anything but normal. "Now that the audience is gone," he said, putting the tin can back on the counter gently.

The shop owner missed the dangerous expression on the other man's face, because his eyes were glued to the exit where the hateful brat disappeared. "Oh, thank goodness, the demon brat is gone!" he cheered. "I thought I'll have to kick him out again."

There was a metallic crumple sound, like the tin can being squeezed and crushed, and then a loud pop. The content of pickled tomatoes spilled all over the counter, red juice dripping on the floor with a rhythmic plop-plop-plop.

"Oh my," the brown-haired youth chuckled darkly as he uncurled his fingers from the squashed tin can one at a time. "A faulty product."

Before the owner could even comprehend what he did, the stranger fisted his hand into the lapel of his shirt and yanked him down. His head hit the wooden surface of the wooden counter with a splash of the pickled tomatoes, momentarily stunning him. There was a hand gripping him at the side of his head, pressing him down and holding him firmly in place. All the man could see was the tin can in front of his nose, folded in half like a wet tissue.

"If you ever treat that boy like that again," the stranger whispered smoothly into his victim's ear, voice eerie and menacing, claws digging into the man's skin, drawing blood, "I'll pop your head like this pickled tomato can."

The pressure eased at the same time as the small breeze ruffled the shop owner's hair. Terrified, he whipped his head up to look around.

The shop was empty and silent with no one in sight.

* * *

Soundlessly, Naruto landed on top of the Yondaime's head, carved into the Hokage's Mountain. It was one of his father's old Hiraishin beacons that he reactivated upon arrival together with adding dozens of new ones. He could travel in and out and around Konoha as he pleased.

The blond smirked when he saw the small hunched figure sitting near the edge. He figured that he would find his tiny counterpart in this place – it always was his special spot, his refuge where he could weep or went his rage in peace, without any of hateful and judging eyes.

He had already sent a shadow clone disguised as the little Naruto to lure his ANBU guard away. They were very far from this place at the moment and Naruto could feel his clone guiding him even further. He had all the time in the world to talk with the little fellow.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Naruto rocked on his heels and spoke, "You ran away from me two times already."

The boy flinched, not expecting anyone to find him here or even _want_ to find him at all, and he scrambled to his feet, whirling around.

Naruto grinned at him.

Upon seeing the same stranger for the third time, the kid's big eyes widened and he took a fearful step back.

The man's smile became a bit strained. "Be careful, you're too close to the edge," he warned.

"I'm not a thief!" the boy declared angrily, taking another step backward in his misplaced defense. "I didn't steal anything! I did nothing wrong!"

The smile was now completely gone from the adult's face, giving way to the worried frown. "I know that, little Naruto," he soothed, lifting his hands up in an attempt to placate an agitated child. "I'm not here because of that. Just want to talk with you."

The boy eyed him suspiciously. "Talk about wha–!" he didn't finish because his foot slipped on the edge of the rock and he tumbled down with a cry. He desperately tried to grab onto the rocky surface and stop his decent towards the imminent death. However, he was sliding too fast and his hands were too small, so all he managed was bruising his palms into the hard stone before he was left falling through the air.

All of a sudden, arms embraced him and pressed securely to the chest. Naruto latched onto that someone's clothes for dear life, shaking and whimpering, eyes shut tightly in fear.

One blink later, they were standing back on top of the Yondaime's head, a slightly disheveled brown hair and a trembling child the only indications of what could have been a lethal accident.

"Hey, that's okay, I got you," the man spoke softly, running his fingers through the spiky blond mop to calm the boy. "It's alright now. You're safe."

After what seemed an eternity, Little Naruto calmed down. It took all of his courage to lift his head and peek at the stranger's face. He had expected to see disgust, hate, contempt – the usual, really – but found none of that. There was a kind smile and warm eyes, if slightly exasperated, and it all made him strangely fuzzy inside, causing his heart to speed up. It was the first time anyone looked at him with that kind of expression – even Jiji's paled in comparison – and on top of that, he was held in an embrace and got his head stroked.

As if he was someone precious.

Ah. He must have fallen to his death then.

"Are you a ghost?"

The man chuckled, such a pleasant and carefree sound. Naruto felt his heart crumbling. This was definitely not real. No one laughed like that in his presence.

"May as well be one," the stranger replied cheerfully before fixing the child with a serious gaze. "Can I trust you not to jump off this mountain in an attempt to escape me?"

The boy's cheeks flushed and he squirmed. The adult put him down on his feet gently and patted his head, receiving another deer-in-the-light, shocked look.

And that's then little Naruto's stomach reminded about itself with a loud grumble.

The man merely grinned at that. "How about I cook you dinner?" he offered. "I'm rather a good cook."

The boy said nothing, just stared at him. The only one who ever cooked something for him was Teuchi-san, but the latter sold ramen so he cooked for everyone. Maybe this strange man was also selling food? "Ramen?" he asked in a stunned whisper.

"How about something different? I can't compete with Ichiraku Ramen, sorry," the adult Naruto laughed goodheartedly. Humming softly, he contemplated for a bit. "Something with pickled tomatoes?" he tempted and smirked when the kid's bright eyes sparkled. "You can wait in your apartment. I'm gonna pick some groceries and be there shortly."

"…Really?"

"Really."

Slowly, tentatively a toothy grin spread across the boy's face. He didn't know who this man was, or why he cared, or even how he knew where he lived – all these questions flew right over his head – all that mattered was that someone wanted to spend time with him. Willingly. And cook dinner for him, even if it wasn't ramen. And maybe they would eat it together too, like, like…

Like _family_. Or at least _friends_.

"Yatta!" little Naruto exclaimed, fist-pumping the air.

The disguised blond laughed at his enthusiasm. "Alright, little kit, we can talk more at your home," he said with a smile, giving another hair ruffle.

The boy seemed to lean into the touch. He snapped out of his reverie when the adult withdrew his hand and ushered him to go. With a grin that threatened to split his face in two, the little Jinchuuriki gave an exuberant hand wave as a goodbye and dashed towards the staircase.

Naruto watched him go, wondering if what he was doing should be considered the extreme of selfishness. He had decided to give everything for his young counterpart – so basically for himself – to make the boy, who had been martyred for the survival of the village, happy and to feel loved and needed. They both could use to experience a real family.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Naruto dismissed it. They were not the same person anymore. The moment he stepped into this reality, this world gained an existence of its own, branched out from that point towards a different direction. Even if the outsider like him wouldn't do anything, his presence alone caused waves of alteration in this universe.

But not trying to prevent tragedies wouldn't make any sense. These people were not Naruto's loved ones he had lost in his own dimension, despite wearing their faces – one of the reasons why he didn't want to stay in Konoha – but he still cared about them and wanted to help them. He would not allow his new reality to follow the example of his previous one.

Naruto finally shifted to turn around. He flashed to an empty alley near the Konoha's market just as he finished the action and strolled into the street without as much as a pause.

The world could handle only one Naruto Uzumaki, therefore he was ready to relinquish his rights to the name. He was so much more than just Naruto Uzumaki now.

As the man stopped at one of the vendors to inspect vegetables for sale – only the highest quality would do for his newly adopted nephew – he pondered on what he should call himself now.

 _Are you a ghost?_

A mischievous smirk graced his lips.

Rei* would be his new name. Rei Uzumaki. Or Rei Namikaze, it mattered not which surname others preferred to use. He was both and he didn't plan to hide it forever.

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* – 霊, "spirit, ghost"


	2. Chapter 2

**Nope, still not betaed and riddled with mistakes and poor word choices.**

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 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 2

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Naruto was racing through the streets of Konoha like a little whirlwind, sporting a toothy grin and blue eyes sparkling with joy. He didn't even notice all the glares and whispers following him this time around, too busy rushing home, his heart swelling with happiness.

Because he had someone coming to visit him! And spend time with him! And talk to him! And cook him dinner! Just how awesome was that, 'tteabyo?!

Nearing the district where he lived, the boy started to slow down. His smile started to slowly fade until it completely vanished when he finally reached the door to his apartment, all kind of doubts rearing their ugly heads in his mind.

That stranger had no reason to come, did he? Naruto was worthless. Useless. Unwanted. The demon brat that everyone hated. _Everyone_. Even most of the other kids didn't want to do anything with him. Why would a ghost be any different?

Naruto burst inside, slamming the door close behind him. Without pausing, he ran through the hallway straight into his bedroom and jumped onto his bed, burying his head in the pillow. After a moment, muffled sobs shook his tiny body and he cried himself into the restless sleep.

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Over an hour later, the door to the apartment opened again and another six years old Naruto walked in casually. Once he closed the door, there was a puff of smoke and an adult version of the same person stood there instead. He put the open palm on the wall, lines of chakra ink burning into its surface, and then stepped aside.

And suddenly there were two of them, with one carrying a big bag of groceries.

The newcomer looked around until his blue eyes settled on his clone. "Any trouble with Naruto's ANBU guard?"

"Nope." The clone smirked smugly. "Doesn't suspect a thing."

"Alright." The original passed the bag. "Go start the dinner."

The clone made a face at him.

Rei chuckled as he turned and walked to the bedroom. He stopped at the doorway and watched his tiny counterpart sleeping for a few minutes. The boy shifted, and the man narrowed his eyes at the wet pillow and tear streaks across the boy's cheeks.

A rightful anger ignited inside Rei, but he didn't let it leak outside, appearing as carefree as ever. If something happened, if someone hurt Naruto after he let him out of his sight, he'd obliterate that someone till they were nothing but a pile of dust. The person he was now, after everything that had happened back in his own world, he did not – could not – chose not to play around or show mercy when it came to those he decided to take under his wing. Or, well, under his tails.

Rei lowered himself on the floor next to the bed, crossing his legs, and brushed a gentle hand through the blond mop.

It took a few strokes for the young Jinchuuriki to stir. His puffy eyes fluttered open and seeing a stranger in front of him, he blinked. Then he rubbed his face and blinked again. "W-Who are you?" he asked uncertainly and, as he sat up, he shied away from the touch of the unfamiliar man, even if it didn't bring him harm.

Rei cracked a grin. "It's been, what? An hour? And you've already forgotten about me?" he teased, goodheartedly. "I said that I'll come, so here I am."

Naruto stared at him, confusion written all over his childish face. His eyes widened as he connected the dots and flicked up at the stranger's hair as yellow and bright as his own, then back to his eyes as blue as his own. "Ghost-san?"

The blond chuckled. "I never introduced myself, have I? Call me Rei," he said before motioning to himself. "And this is how I look like when not hiding under the henge."

The boy's gaze moved to his hair again.

"Yeah, Naruto, we look alike."

"…Why?"

Rei smiled. A tinge of sadness touched the edges of that smile. "Your father and I were brothers," he explained, and the six years old simply froze, holding his breath. "Half-brothers, to be precise, born from different mothers. Mine was from Uzumaki clan just like yours. So, we're family as you can get."

Naruto said nothing, utterly speechless, still as a statue, afraid even to breathe lest this dream-come-true suddenly puffed out of existence and he was hurled back into the nightmare where he had no one.

"I'm sorry that I didn't come earlier, little kit. I was very far away and while I knew that your parents passed away, this is the best I could do. But!" He flashed a wide grin. "I'm gonna look after you from now on."

The boy stared at him before his eyes shifted down, his hands absent-mindedly fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt. "E-Even if I'm just a worthless d-demon brat?" he asked in a small, subdued voice, barely above the whisper. He tensed when he heard a growl, refusing to acknowledge the tears that gathered anew.

"You are not," came a firm reply, an undertone of steel layering naturally deep soft tenor. "Worthless or useless or a demon, but an innocent child with a burden so heavy that nobody even knows how to explain it to you. Don't listen to those villagers. They're spineless cowards who'd rather live in their hateful delusions than accept the bitter truth. You're my nephew, my _family_ , and if someone will dare to lift a hand against you, I will _exterminate_ them all, 'ttebayo. You have my word."

Naruto watched the older blond as he rambled, an anger rolling off of him in waves. Yet, he didn't feel scared. Quite an opposite, actually, a strange sense of security and acceptance and belonging wrapped around him like a warm blanket and cared him to the world where nothing was wrong.

The man almost toppled over as the yellow blur suddenly launched himself on him. Tiny, shaking arms wrapped around his neck as the boy buried his face into the crook of it. "I have family…" he muttered, his voice muffled as he tightened his hold on the adult, afraid to let him go in case he'd disappear. "Thank you..!" he choked out and then just continued to repeat tearfully, "Thank you..! Thank you..."

A tender smile tugged at the corners of Rei's mouth. One of his hands embraced the boy to hold him in place and another stroked his head to soothe him. "Yes, you do have a family," he said softly. "We both have it now."

It took about half an hour for the young Jinchuuriki to calm down. Rei sat him back on the edge of his bed and fixed with a serious gaze. "Can you keep our meetings a secret for now, Naruto?" he asked.

The boy sniffled into his sleeve. "Why?"

"I'm not from around Konoha and I don't plan to stay here. And I doubt that the Hokage would allow us to meet if he knew." Seeing the young blond's expression twisting with horror, he put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "While I can't stay with you all the time, I'll come to visit as often as I can."

Rei was a stray without a permanent living place or allies; it would have been unreasonable to drag a child with him everywhere. Besides, just because he wasn't tied up with Konoha anymore, didn't mean that he could just whisk their Jinchuuriki away.

Naruto's face crumpled and his body sagged in defeat. Rei knew why – he had been promised the same thing too many times to make him actually believe it. There were no suitable words to convince him otherwise right now, however, the boy would see that he spoke the truth in time. "Turn around," he requested all of a sudden.

Quizzically furrowing his brow, the kid did as he was asked.

Rei blazed through a series of hand seals too fast for a normal human eye to see, then lifted his nephew's t-shirt up and laid a glowing palm on the small of his back. The black lines of chakra ink spread from where he touched it, weaving and swirling into an intricate design.

Naruto giggled. "It's tickling!"

The seal flashed blue and faded. "Oh, really?" he inquired. A mischievous grin stretched across his face as he pushed both his hands into the boy's armpits and started tickling.

Naruto writhe, trying to twist away from his tormentor, laughing. "No! No! Stop!" he pleaded between fits of rich, bright laugh, ringing off the usually somber apartment's walls.

After another few seconds of tickling, Rei decided to take pity. He sat back on the floor while the kid tried to catch his breath, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

"Rei-san?" Naruto started attentively.

"Hm?"

"Did you know my mom and dad?"

"Not as much as I'd have liked," the man confessed. "I met your dad a few times, we even fought together for a bit. I've seen your mom only once, unfortunately."

Naruto sat up, his wide eyes settling on his uncle.

There was a distinct crease of sadness and wistfulness etched onto the older blond's face. For a while, he was silent, staring somewhere beyond the physical walls, before heaving a sigh and closing his eyes. "They loved you so much, Naruto," Rei said, turning to look at the boy. "It broke their hearts to leave you and with such a heavy burden, but they didn't have any other choice. The situation was out of their control."

Naruto listened, soaking every word like a dry sponge soaked water. No one ever told him anything about his parents, not even Jiji when he asked, so he started to think that he never had them at all. That he truly was… a demon.

Rei suddenly flicked his forehead. Naruto yelped not expecting it, then glared, rubbing the offended spot, eliciting a laugh from his uncle.

"I can hear you moping," the man said cheerfully. "We can talk later. Too much and you'll get overwhelmed. Besides, the dinner should be ready anytime now."

The boy blinked. "The dinner?"

The blond raised an eyebrow. "I promised you a dinner, haven't I? And I never break my promises."

At that exact moment, another Rei strolled into the room with a shit-eating grin and announced, "Dinner's ready!"

Naruto's jaw dropped, his eyes flickering between two identical men.

"It's just a shadow clone, Naruto," the original explained as he stood, shooting a withering look at his clone when he crossed his arms with a mocking huff. "You're dismissed."

"Not fair, boss! Gobbling little Naruto all to yourself!" the clone whined, throwing his arms up in the air in his great displeasure. "I want to spend some time with him too!"

Rei rolled his eyes, dispelling the clone with a mere thought. It had been a while from the last time his own clone threw a temper tantrum. This whole returning back in time business made him feel nostalgic.

"That's so cool, 'ttebayo! Can I learn it too?! Can you teach me, please! Please! Please!"

The man looked down at the pleading dewy blue eyes with practically stars shooting out of them and almost folded. Almost. "When you're older," he promised and Naruto's expression dropped. "We'll start from the very basics. Can you already control your chakra, even a bit?"

The boy perked up at it. "Yeah!" he declared, his chest puffing in the immeasurable pride.

"Try to feel the seal that I painted on your back and then to insert some chakra into it."

Naruto scrunched his face, concentrating.

Rei felt the seal flaring almost a minute later. It was just a simple precaution, a seal that would warn him about Naruto's safety being compromised, with the addition of the modified Hiraishin formula, allowing him to flash to his nephew's side at any given moment from any part of the world.

The blond stared at his tiny counterpart, his mind reeling. He didn't remember being this capable at such a young age. Then again, he wasn't born as an incompetent idiot – considering his brilliant heritage – but lacking the right guidance and stimuli while growing up hindered the development of his intelligence a lot. No one cared enough or had time to spare to help the poor Kyuubi container, abandoning him to fend for himself and consequently sabotaging his immense potential in its infancy.

Observing this kind of neglect from the sidelines really put things into a perspective. Honestly, it was a sheer miracle that he did manage to grow up into a decent ninja and not end up crazy like Gaara.

Speaking of, he wondered if the little redhead already started his downward descent into the madness. He had to check on him soon.

"Did… Did I fail?" Naruto asked shyly, peering up at his uncle, twisting the hem of his t-shirt as his anxiety spiked.

Rei smiled kindly at him. "No, little kit," he said, ruffling his hair. "You did great. I'm proud of you."

Naruto _beamed_ : a grin stretched from ear to ear, his eyes lit up and face brightened up, his whole being radiating a boundless delight.

"Now, come on, the dinner is getting cooler as we dawdle here," the man told him as he put arms on his shoulders and guided him out of the room and into the kitchen – out of the dark and lonely past and into the bright and happy future.

* * *

The Sunagakure was silent and peaceful under the clear night sky, a dry desert breeze picking sand dust and scattering it harmlessly around empty streets.

Rei was seated on the top of the circular building, his legs crossed, his arm resting on his knee and a chin in his palm. The wind showered him in a cloud of dust, ruffling his golden locks and his orange haori, and he closed his eyes, avoiding getting it into them.

He was too late to this party too – the story of his life. He missed sparing Gaara from the childhood trauma by several months. He hadn't been in this world for this long, so even if he had rushed here right after arrival, that wouldn't have changed anything.

Frowning in thought, Rei observed the small, hunched figure, perched on the roof few buildings away. He could sense Shukaku's malicious and corrosive chakra thrashing deep inside the boy, under the layers of his innately compassionate and warm chakra, seeping into it, tainting it.

But not yet fully contaminating it.

Gaara might have been more hardened, jaded, and probably crazier than any normal six-years-old had any right to be, but he was still six and there were childish aspects of him that had not and could not be smothered out. And that childishness is what Rei intended to work with.

Decision made, the blond grinned, jumping to his feet and moving towards the tiny counterpart of his second best friend. And, wow, tiny was the right word, because Gaara was smaller than even Naruto. He would have to rectify that as soon as possible.

First, he had to gain the kid's trust. Second, fix the faulty seal (and wasn't _that_ an abomination, bringing shame for the Seal Art as entirety?!), so that the poor kid could get a good night's rest. Third, give him what every Jinchuuriki yearned – the feeling of being loved and needed.

Okay, Rei might be a bit biased and bitter on that particular topic. Sue him!

The man landed behind the red-haired boy without a sound and just stared at his back for a bit. He could see a slight shaking of his shoulders and hear the quiet sniffling – becoming a murderous monster wasn't a result of one night as traumatizing as it might have been. His psyche had cracks, but it was not yet broken.

"So, what a kid like you doing here in the middle of the night?" Rei finally spoke.

Gaara flinched and stumbled to his feet, almost falling from the roof in his startled rush.

The blond winced. He really should be more careful with greeting kids that were sitting on the edges high above the ground. Seriously, that was becoming plain dangerous.

The sand came to life, swirling protectively around the redhead's small frame.

Rei grinned, wide and earnest.

Gaara's teal eyes widened momentarily before they narrowed into a suspicious glare. Without uttering a word, he swung his arm forward. The sand followed the command, lurching toward the blond, ready to encompass him into a deadly sandy coffin.

The problem was that the man was not there anymore. The boy blinked in surprise, looked around the roof, but couldn't locate him. With a sigh, he let his hand drop back to his side.

"I'm Rei, by the way."

Gaara stiffened when a voice rang from behind, instantly turning around with his sand shooting to the spot on the nearby building where the stranger's voice came from, but once again finding nothing but a thin air.

"…What?" the boy whispered, confused, his sand settling down again. He scanned the empty roof in front, then the one behind with a fierce scowl.

"You must be Gaara."

The young Jinchuuriki froze – the unknown man was right there on his left. The sand rose like a tidal wave, ready to attack, to squish, to _protect_. He pivoted on his heel, lips pulling into a snarl, and came nose to nose with a blond who had that absurdly bright and friendly grin still stuck on his face.

"Nice to meetcha ya!" Rei said cheerfully.

Before Gaara could strike again, a big, gentle hand landed on his head and his mind screeched into a complete halt, eyes growing wide and fearful. The sand also stopped, hovering in the air above their heads.

Blue eyes softened at his reaction and the grin on the stranger's face smoothed out into a sad, knowing smile. It lasted only for a split second, because the next instant it flared like a sun. "Tag, you're it!"

And then he was gone like a gust of wind.

* * *

Rei scowled at the Uchiha compound, still undecided what to do with them. It had been three months as he arrived at this world and the whole time he spent observing the clan, creating and discarding various plans how to help them, how to keep them alive without compromising the safety of Konoha.

He was leaning towards the idea that Itachi was right by slaughtering every single member of the clan. Except Sasuke, of course, for the sole reason of loving him too much. And didn't that came to bite him in the ass later?

The blond sighed, lifting his head up to stare at the starry night sky. Naruto was tucked in for the night and Gaara received his usual hair ruffle after losing another game of tag.

The sand Jinchuuriki was coming around, slowly but surely. Rei could see it in the way his eyes brightened up every time he showed up and how his sand moved not to instantly kill him but to catch him. The blond hummed. He might allow him to do that next time he went to Suna in order to see what would happen.

Something caught his attention on the outskirts of Konoha and Rei's gaze moved towards that direction, eyes narrowing into stormy blue slits. Something very bad – evil – was transpiring there, he could feel it with every fiber of his being.

His curiosity piqued, Rei reached for the nearest beacon and flashed there without any caution whatsoever.

And stumbled upon a very curious situation.

Two ninjas with white ANBU masks held a young Konohan ninja with his arms twisted behind him, forcing him into a kneeling position in front of Danzo Shimura. That old, decrepit schmuck was gripping the prisoner's chin and had his hand positioned above his right eyeball, fingers curled like claws, ready to rip into the flesh.

Everyone's attention snapped on Rei the moment he casually materialized out of thin air.

"Uh…" the blond started eloquently, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck. "Awkward," he coughed into his fist, then grinned sheepishly and waved at them dismissively. "Oh, don't mind me, I'm just passing by." He paused, seemingly very uncomfortable now. "Although, it appears that I walked in on you doing something, um, very naughty."

"Catch him!" Danzo ordered coldly.

A couple masked ninjas appeared, rounding the blond from both sides, but he didn't seem alarmed. On the opposite, he simply pushed his hands into pockets and tilted his head to the side – a picture of relaxed indifference.

Rei's shadow clones popped into existence without any hand seals. Two of them right behind the ROOT agents that were attacking from the sides and another behind the one on his blind spot, each with a kunai already sinking deep into their throats.

Danzo scowled. The clones dispelled even before the corpses of his subordinates hit the ground. Assessing the threat level, his lone eye glowered at the unknown man, who met his cold stare evenly but clearly amused. The blond had no visible affiliation marks on him – to a village or a clan – but his appearance was a glaring reminder of that man. A dead man without any known family members, except a small child back in the village.

The old war hawk let the teen's chin go and lowered his arm, turning to face the blond and giving him undivided attention.

Rei's gaze briefly flickered to the captured young ninja – Uchiha, he realized suddenly – and then back at the wrinkly old fart. Something in his expression shifted subtly, azure orbs boring straight into Danzo, tearing through his flesh and bones and directly into his soul – the eyes of the being that dwelled on the top of the food chain, of the apex predator, staring down at the prey that really wasn't worth its time.

It sent every instinct Danzo had on high alert and he unconsciously tensed, all muscles in his body drawing taut in alarm.

The blond's already there grin stretched wider, a perfect blend of arrogance, gleeful satisfaction, and feral dominance. Because he _knew_ of his fear.

The captured teen used the small opening in his captors' attention and twisted his right arm free, instantly spinning on his knee and kicking the ROOT agent's legs from under him. As the grip on his other arm eased, he jumped away to make a distance between him and his enemy. However, vertigo hit him in full force from a sudden movement and he stumbled.

Before Uchiha could face plant into the dust, someone caught him. Dread pooling in his gut, the teen whipped his head up to look at his new captor.

"Relax, kid, I'm on your side," Rei assured him quietly, blue eyes never leaving Danzo. "Maa, I'm gonna walk the kid home, it's way past his bedtime," he said to the old man, mouth quirked into a cheeky smirk, before giving him a mock salute. "Till the next time, naughty pervert!"

And then he was gone as abruptly as he appeared, with Uchiha in tow.

"Next time, I will devour you."

Danzo heard a whisper near his ear, almost ethereal, bodiless voice that sent chill down his spine. He instantly turned around, but there was no one.

Only a ghostly chuckle echoed into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Any Betareaders out where who would like to work with me on this?**

 **Also, the heat still persists. Oh. My. God.**

* * *

 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 3

* * *

The moment they touched the ground after an impromptu teleportation and Shisui felt the stranger's arms around him withdrew, he leaped away. Whoever helped him didn't try to prevent him from gaining a distance between them. The teen twisted his body mid-air and landed in a crouch facing the unknown.

He didn't have time to look at the man before, not to mention that his vision was still a bit blurry after inhaling the poisonous gas. It wasn't lethal – Danzo told him this much – simply used to weaken and disorientate so that they could subdue him.

Shisui couldn't quite suppress the shudder from the thought of what exactly he had been saved from.

"You don't seem too steady on your feet and I can sense your chakra being unnaturally chaotic."

The young ninja finally looked at his unexpected savor and his eyes widened, irises alight with the red of the Sharingan. He scanned the stranger up and down, taking in every detail of his appearance and body language. It was no henge or genjutsu, he could tell.

The blond tilted his head to the side, his blue eyes watching the teen with a startling sharpness. "Should I be concerned and bring you to the hospital?"

Shisui stared, his mind stuck on comparing this man to the Yondaime Hokage. They were different, and at the same time – very alike. "You… Who are you?" he finally asked.

"Name's Rei." A smirk crossed the blond's face. "Ah. You're old enough to remember my brother, I presume."

"Brother. The Yondaime?"

"Yeah," Rei confirmed. "But that's beside the point. The hospital?"

The teen shook his head and stood up with a sigh. He allowed a bit of tension drain from his shoulders, but kept vigilant, not dropping his guard completely yet. "Thank you for your assistance," he said, offering a small bow.

"Think nothing of that, it was merely a coincidence," Rei waved him off with an easy grin. "I'm glad though. You seem like a good kid." He crossed his arms, expression growing serious. "You know, that old lunatic won't leave you alone until he takes what he wants."

Shisui furrowed his brow. "Yes," he replied quietly.

With the Root involved, everything got so much complicated. Danzo had the power and notoriety to do anything to stop him from using Kotoamatsukami on the Uchiha clan to stop the coup. The old bastard planned to sacrifice their clan from the very start.

Shisui gritted his teeth. One of his hands drifted to rest over his eye – the eye that monster almost stole from him. He could not let that despicable man stop him. He would find a way to preserve the peace and let Itachi stay with his family.

"Hey, you're not gonna rip them out, are you?"

Shaken out of his pondering, the teen's attention snapped back at the blond stranger who had this odd expression of absolute disgust, severe disapproval, and intense displeasure plastered on his face.

"Because that's just gross, kid. And I don't want your eyeballs, so better keep them for yourself."

Rei sounded genuinely annoyed, bordering on being angry, for reasons Shisui couldn't even imagine. Not that he had planned to do what the man assumed, but the latter's open resentment towards eye stealing somehow calmed him down.

The realization that he felt surprisingly at ease in this unfamiliar ninja's presence startled Shisui. So strange. It was the same feeling of unexplained security that always settled upon him whenever he had been in near proximity of the Yondaime Hokage.

A small smile curled on the teen's lips. Brother, huh.

Rei watched the smile, eyes narrowed in suspicion, ready to jump into action at any given moment. One could never know with the Uchiha type. Suddenly, he groaned, raking fingers through his own hair. "Look, I'll keep Danzo off your back," he stated. "He's really not a threat, merely a nuisance."

"You can't underestimate Danzo, Rei-san," the teen argued. "He's an elder of Konohagakure and has the whole Root at his disposal."

The blond looked completely unperturbed. "So?"

Such an easy-going attitude pissed Shisui off. This man was either a naïve madman or had the strength to support his over-confident claims. Honestly, he didn't know which option was worse.

Rei smiled, amused by the face young Uchiha was making. "I can get rid of him any time, but I'm still hoping that specific someone will come into contact with him." His overall demeanor changed at the drop of a hat, going from carefree and laid-back disposition to the savage baring of teeth as he glared at no one and nothing in particular. "That person is a slippery bastard, and if I don't annihilate him on the first opportunity, he'll definitely go into hiding. I _refuse_ to allow his existence on this plane of reality for even a second longer than necessary."

The sheer, brutal killing intent that suddenly radiated from the stranger forced Shisui to tense up and reach for his weapon. He restrained to pull a tanto out, not wanting to incite the already furious man even more. He could also swear that he saw those cerulean eyes flashing demonic red. If not for his active dojutsu, he certainly would have brushed it off as a figment of his imagination, but as it was, the image was now ingrained into his memory forever.

He had to admit – the option of this person having the strength to support his over-confident claims seemed much more believable now.

Rei sighed, closed his eyes, and reeled all his power back in, leaving Shisui in a befuddled daze, having an inner debate on if what he had just witnessed was true or not.

A three-pronged kunai embedded itself into the ground at the Uchiha's feet. The latter glanced at it. He heard stories about these.

"You and Itachi were looking for allies to stop the coup, right?" the blond asked. "Well, you found one. If you need me, insert some chakra into the seal on the kunai's handle and I'll come. Anytime. Anywhere. Against anything or anyone."

So, this person knew about the coup. And Itachi. Probably more about him too. Shisui wondered what else he knew as he cautiously picked the kunai up and inspected the seal.

Rei rolled his eyes. "Do I really look so untrustworthy?" he inquired, opening out his arms just to show how harmless and innocent he was. Yet a wicked smirk dancing on his lips completely trashed that impression. "You hurt my feelings."

The teen huffed in a way that sounded suspiciously like a smothered laughter, pushing the kunai into his pouch behind his back, and was rewarded with a wide grin.

"Alright, you can run along now to give a report to your…" Rei's cheery voice trailed off, his gaze shifting somewhere toward the village, a worried crease in his brow. "You should hurry up, Shisui. I can sense Danzo and the Sandaime together, no doubt weaving a tale of lies and trying to sway the old man to his side."

"What?!" Shisui exclaimed in alarm. "Dammit!" he bit out as he made the tiger seal and vanished out of sight.

* * *

Hiruzen rubbed his forehead as he stared at yet another civilian report about Yondaime's ghost wandering the streets. And buying groceries. Sometimes resorting to threatening Konoha's general populace. The victims always swore that the act was done without any reasons, but the elderly Hokage knew that it always followed after the said victim had been 'disrespectful' towards the current Kyuubi host.

Some part of him wanted to pat the ghost on the shoulder for the job well done.

Usually, the said ghost appeared in the grocery shops and markets, sometimes just strolling around Konoha. In the middle of the day, right in the open. He was definitely not hiding, but none of his subordinates ever laid their eyes on the entity. If the unknown blond was a real human, it would have been impossible to go around the village for three months entirely unnoticed under the noses of its many ninjas.

While wearing a bright orange haori.

It was preposterous.

A sigh left his mouth and Hiruzen put a sheet down on the table, leaning back in his chair.

He remembered talking with one of the witnesses. Terrified out of his mind, the man vowed that the ghost had the red slitted eyes – the eyes of the demon.

Minato mixed with the Kyuubi. It sounded like a bad joke.

If it truly was the ghost of the Yondaime – a possibility that he couldn't disregard, regardless how small or plausible it was – what purpose his chosen successor had? And how did his spirit escaped the stomach of the Shinigami?

And why change his white haori into a bright orange?

His mind seemed stuck on that insignificant detail.

He even doubled the ANBU guards for Naruto, but there were no signs of the entity making contact with him. Although, he received a few observations that the boy looked happier and healthier. _Lighter_ , as Dog had reported. Which was good, he was pleased to hear that, but the timing brought great suspicion.

Something crucial was missing in this puzzle, and the Sandaime was determined to figure it out quickly. He had enough stress to deal with the rising danger from the Uchiha clan to add the damn ghost on top of that.

That's why he was still working this late into the night.

Hiruzen admitted that he required help. His advisors were preoccupied with Uchiha's coup d'état and brushed the sightings of the ghost as unimportant. He begged to differ. He had a bad feeling about both matters.

Two heads were better than one, so the Hokage straightened up and picked the brush to write a short message to his student, calling him back to Konoha. With Jiraiya's knowledge, they might have a chance to solve this riddle.

The brush was just about to touch the paper when the door suddenly slammed open and Danzo barged in without any formality whatsoever, a bunch of his personal ANBU in tow.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, secretly giving the signal to his hidden guardians to be ready. "What is the matter, Danzo?" he inquired, voice neutral, giving no sign of his caution.

"Shisui Uchiha betrayed Konoha."

The brush in the elderly Sarutobi's hand snapped in two. He took a deep breath to compose himself and slowly put its pieces down on the table. "…The evidence?"

"One of my subordinates intercepted the message between Shisui Uchiha and the ghost you are chasing for the last few months who is nothing more than a disguised enemy nin," Danzo explained, nodding to one of his escorts.

That threw Hiruzen for a loop. He accepted the small scroll from Root ninja and furrowed his brow as he read it. "A secret meeting?"

"I confirmed it. Uchiha was there to sell sensitive information to the unknown party. When they noticed my presence, they attacked me." Danzo stared his old friend straight in his eyes, daring him to call it a lie.

They were still glaring at each other when Shisui emerged out of his shunshin in the middle of the room.

It seemed like the time stopped for half a second, hanging in the deathly silence, before exploding into a cacophony of the sounds and movement: shouts, weapon drawn, and footsteps.

Only his eyes and instincts, forged in sweat and blood, saved Shisui. His tanto blade met the sword descending downward to his neck with a sharp ding as he parried the attack from one of Danzo's men before jumping back to avoid a slash from another.

Hokage's ANBU appeared between the Uchiha and his attackers.

"Enough!" Hiruzen roared, his chakra mixed with a killing intent washing the room like a tsunami wave, freezing everyone in their place. He glowered at each person for a brief moment, daring them to disobey, then turned toward the young jounin. "Deer, Marten, apprehend Shisui Uchiha under the suspicion of treason."

The Sandaime watched the boy's expression twisting into absolute horror and disbelief. He didn't fight the order though, surrendering his weapon instantly and even deactivating his Sharingan.

The Hokage turned to his old friend then. "You're completely out of line, Danzo," he said coldly. "Collect your people and leave."

"The traitor–"

"Right now!"

The old war hawk bit down whatever else he wanted to say, the lone eye narrowing into a furious slit. Sarutobi's voice was commanding, unyielding, a sheer titanium wall springing up metaphorically between him and his target. He had no other choice but to retreat.

Danzo turned on his heel and stiffly left the Hokage's office without another word, his entourage following suit.

Hiruzen heaved a sigh. What just happened was a great surprise. Someone definitely managed to get under Danzo's skin for he was acting rash and completely out of character. To scare the old, unmovable veteran like him to such degree was a feat rare individual could have achieved.

He looked at Shisui, the grandson of his dear friend, and saw the sadness in the boy's eyes. He nodded to his ANBU with an order, "You can release him now."

The moment he was free, Shisui sunk down on his knee, head held low in respect. "Hokage-sama."

"I heard one side, now I want to hear your side. Report."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the teen complied. "I was preparing to start my mission when the Root ambushed me. They used poisonous gas to debilitate me and eventually I got captured. That's then Danzo," he all but growled the name, "showed up with an intention to steal my eyes, said it was a waste to use Kotoamatsukami to stop the coup."

The elderly Hokage took a moment to mull over his words. "How did you escape?"

"I received an aid from the unknown party," the young Uchiha answered without skipping a beat. "He rescued me and introduced himself as Rei, the brother of the Yondaime Hokage."

Hiruzen's eyes widened. "Minato's brother?" That could explain the witness reports about the Yondaime's ghost wandering around. "Does he wear the orange haori?"

"Yes."

The old man groaned, messaging his temples, shooing away the incoming headache. Such a person was a double-edged blade. He could end up being either a blessing to Konoha or its curse, depending on his motives and purpose of coming here and also their response to his presence.

"He also gave me this," Shisui continued, reaching for his weapon pouch. He stopped when Deer shoved a kunai under his chin.

The Sandaime shook his head and the ANBU withdrew his hand with an affirmative dip of his head. The teen pulled out a three-pronged kunai and offered it to his Hokage.

A deep frown creased Hiruzen's face as he took the kunai, his eyes instinctively zeroing on the familiar seal, wrapped around its handle. Having unknown Minato's brother somewhere in the village was one thing. Having unknown Minato's brother on the loose with an ability to perform Hiraishin could turn out to be a disaster. No wonder he appeared and disappeared like a ghost.

"What did he want from you?"

"My rescue was a coincidence, but he knows about the coup and offered his help to stop it." Shisui motioned at the kunai. "Told me to call him anytime and anywhere if I needed assistance."

That really didn't say much about the man's motives. The offer could have been thrown just on the spur of the moment.

"He's also hunting for someone who may come into contact with Danzo."

A frown became more profound on the Sandaime's forehead at that piece of information. He stared at the seal, his heart aching. "Do you believe that this man means well?" he asked as he glanced at the young ninja in front of him.

"For now," the teen replied after some consideration. "But he's a wild card."

"Very well," the elderly Hokage sighed. "I trust your judgment. So, first we have to deal with Danzo, then we'll think what to do with this unknown."

Shisui's eyes grew wider before he bowed again. "Thank you for believing me, Hokage-sama."

"Of course, my boy." Hiruzen smiled kindly at him. "I have my men observing Danzo for some time now and I do not like the reports I'm getting." He walked around his table, sat down, and scowled at the broken brush. Then pushed it aside. "It will not be easy to take him down, however; his connections run deep. We cannot act against him without a solid proof." He paused, fixing the young Uchiha with a thoughtful gaze. "I'll have to ask you to play bait. You'll be put into the ANBU holding cell under the suspicion of treason. If Danzo wants your eyes, he'll find a way to get to you. We may even present the opportunity to him before springing the trap behind him. You're free to refuse this mission as it's–"

"I accept," Shisui said, his voice strong and confident, carrying no hesitation whatsoever. "Just please keep this information a secret from my clan. If they will hear that I was arrested for treason…"

"We would have a coup upon us immediately," the Sandaime agreed with a heavy heart. "Are you still determined to use your visual jutsu on the clan?"

"Yes."

A ghost of a smile touched the corners of the old man's mouth. "You're as stubborn as Kagami was," he muttered looking at the young man, driven by such a strong Will of Fire. "This plan will have to wait now," he spoke after shaking himself out of his reminiscence. "If we want the Uchiha clan to change, the village has to change too. If we want the village to change, we need to get rid of the one that keeps feeding its darkness."

Hiruzen had a hard time to admit that his friend went sideways a long time ago, but he was the Hokage. No longer could he turn a blind eye at Danzo's machinations and the increasing damage it brought upon Konoha. Attacking and then framing up the ninja who was loyal to a fault was the last straw and would finally result in his undoing.

"Deer, Marten," the Hokage called out to the two ANBU who were still flanking Shisui, "accompany this young man to the hospital for a check-up after inhaling that gas. Crane, inform the detention center about a new arrival and see to the preparation of a cell. They do not need to know that in actuality this is an undercover mission. Whatever you all have heard in this room should stay in this room."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" everyone present intoned dutifully.

Satisfied, Hiruzen nodded. "Dismissed."

The ninjas vanished to fulfill their new orders or back to their guard duty. The Sandaime glanced down at the three-pronged kunai in his hands. "Rei," he murmured the name under his breath. "The spirit*. How fitting."

* * *

Rei strolled into Danzo's office like he owned the place: spring in his steps, hands in his pockets, whistling some merry tune, and giddy with excitement.

It had been _years_ from the last time he pranked someone. Years! And the paranoid type always was his favorite to prank.

A grin found its way onto the blond's face as he surveyed an empty office. A table with a neatly assembled tea set caught his eye and he walked closer. Picking each cup, he placed the invisible storage seal at their bottom, each having enough space to contain an average-sized lake. No matter how much tea they were gonna pour into these cups, they would always remain empty.

As Rei went around the office, he swapped and shuffled things around just to help the guy with his paranoia – he was such a generous soul!

The blond finished by placing the final seal on Danzo's chair – the storage seal full of his special itching powder. It would activate upon someone pressing on it, well, sitting in this particular case. He sniggered at the image of Danzo scratching his itchy butt.

Rei glanced around the office for the last time and grinned in glee when the woman's painting on the furthest wall warped and twisted into some kind of macabre nightmarish scene for a briefest of the moment and then returned to normal as if nothing strange had happened.

Perfect.

The blond was about to teleport to Suna – Gaara was due to get a visit – when he felt a tug on one of his Hiraishin beacons. He blinked in surprise. There was only one kunai that he gave to another person a few days ago and the chakra sent into the seal was definitely not his.

Rei closed his eyes and concentrated, sweeping the whole Konoha with his senses in an instant until he found what he was looking for. Underground. In the ANBU detention center.

His chest rumbled with a deep growl, red eyes burning with sudden anger – one that poured out of him and crackled around the room.

Rei saved the kid's life and promised to help him; thus felt responsible for him now. If anyone touched even a hair on that particular Uchiha's head, they were about to experience what happened to those who harmed the people he took under his protection.

In a blink, the blond was gone from the office.

* * *

Shisui tried to rest, but the sleep eluded him. He was lying on his stomach, face buried in his pillow.

He felt restless – only his sheer willpower stopped him from prowling around the cell like a caged beast. Walls were layered by the chakra suppressing seals, and it left him helpless – weakened beyond belief.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Shisui almost fell from his bunk. Well, alright, not almost, he actually fell from his bunk as the unexpected raised voice scared the hell out of him and he didn't quite manage to put his feet under him in time when he rolled off of it.

His head whipped up and onyx black met bloody red.

In all his orange glory, Rei stared down at him, clearly expecting an answer: lips pressed together, brow furrowed, arms crossed in front of his chest. He even tapped his foot impatiently.

"Rei-san?" Shisui spoke in absolute disbelief. "Why– How did you get here?"

The blond huffed, "The same way I get anywhere else."

"You can use chakra here?"

"What are you talking about? Of course, I can." Rei lifted his hand and a blue orb of chakra instantly formed in his palm. "See?"

"But there are chakra suppressing seals all around this cell," the teen pointed out dumbly.

The blond raised a questioning eyebrow and his eyes – blue again – flicked to look at the wall. "Oh," he said flatly. "I was wondering what this annoying ticklish sensation was."

Shisui blinked. This situation was so absurd and this person so ludicrous that he couldn't help it – he just burst out laughing.

* * *

* – Rei, 霊, "spirit, ghost"

* * *

A/N

So, I watched few fillers and 'The Two Uchiha' (from the game) to get a feel of Shisui character, and... what can I say? I bawled my eyes out. Like, are you even serious? It was so sad, I cried like like someone stole my sweetroll. Shisui and Itachi are such an amazing guys, oh my god. Seriously, if I hadn't already decided on Shisui being one of the main characters in this story, I would have scraped the whole story and rewrote/rethough it. Hardcore Shisui fan here now, peeps. Anyway, I hope I did his character justice.

On the other hand, the Sandaime lost any kind of respect I still had for his character. He was nothing but the Hokage in name, dancing to Danzo's tune like a monkey on the strings. Urgh, it was sooooo frustrating to watch, I wanted to punch him in the face! Shisui or Itachi didn't go to him after the whole eye stealing thing because they had absolutely no trust in the man! And the whole Uchiha uprise? Pretty much his fault. I think they made him like this to work around the many plot holes that litters the whole canon, but regardless the reason, canon Hiruzen Sarutobi pissed me off to no end. And if I had to use canon Sandaime, this would have turned into a bashing fic. Considering that I hate bashing and I won't lower myself to such degree, I tried to salvage the situation and altered his character. I hope you enjoyed what I did! Leave a comment with your opinion on all this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 4

* * *

Rei watched the kid double up with laughter, his fury abating into a frustrated irritation. He was glad to see Uchiha unharmed, albeit a bit strung up – who wouldn't be in such a place? – but it still didn't answer his question. "I'm happy to see you in high spirit," he said as the raven's guffaw calmed down, "but why are you in such a place?"

Shisui offered a sheepish smile as he finally pulled himself up from the floor to stand in front of the blond. "Erm, no offense, Rei-san," he started, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't think I can tell you the real reason."

That earned a thoroughly unimpressed stare. "Really?" A smirk crept across Rei's face and the teen narrowed his eyes, having a very bad feeling about it. "Well then. I'm just gonna break you out of the jail and be done with it."

Before young Uchiha could fully process his words, the older man's hand clamped onto his shoulder and suddenly they were somewhere else.

The warm breeze ruffled Shisui's hair, bringing a salty taste of the ocean with it. Through the darkness came the rhythmic pounding of the waves from its unseen shoreline. Millions of bright stars dotted on the black canvas of night with the full moon shining down onto the surrounding looming ruins. The wide and tranquil river curved gently through what seemed like a destroyed grand village, stars and the moonlight reflected on its surface, glimmering with silver sparkles, like a thousand glowing diamonds. On one side, the silhouettes of majestic mountains stood silently in the background.

Rei observed as the kid's face scrolled from surprised to incredulous, to downright horrified. He tilted his head to the side, scrutinizing his expression. It intrigued him – an Uchiha who could openly display such a vast array of emotions.

"Where the hell are we?!" Shisui demanded, rounding on the blond after familiarizing himself with a new environment.

"Uzushio."

"Uzushio?" The teen's face washed blank with confusion, like his brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information. After a few moments, the onyx eyes widened. "Whirlpool country? Are you serious?"

"Yep."

Shisui's Sharingan flared to life, red irises gleaming furiously in the dimness of the night, and he hissed, "Bring me back!"

Rei met the gaze of those accursed eyes evenly, not fazed by the outburst in a slightest. "Even if you could win against me, you're miles and miles and miles away from Konoha. At the very least, it would take _weeks_ for you to get back on your own," he stated before grinning viciously. "If you can cross the ocean, that is. This country is called Whirlpool for a reason."

Shisui studied the man for a while. "Why do you care so much about me?" he asked carefully.

The blond hummed faintly, his gaze shifting to looks at the other side of the river. "My best friend was an Uchiha," he confessed softly, a flicker of grief crossing his face. "We had our ups and downs, but in the end, he took a lethal hit in my stead."

The breeze moved gently over his skin and he closed his eyes, recalling that night at the bonfire after another hopeless and despairing battle, after the death of another team Seven members, leaving only the last two survivors. It was Sasuke who started talking unprompted and Naruto just listened as his best friend shared his most precious memories from his childhood; memories that included his big brother with fond mentions of Itachi's friend, another Uchiha. The one who was standing in front of him right now, still alive.

Rei was determined to keep it that way.

"Do I remind you of him?" Shisui inquired when he couldn't stand the prolonged silence anymore.

A merry laugh welled inside Rei's throat. "No, you're complete opposites," he replied cheerfully. "But I believe that he would have wished to see his clan survive. Also, I saved your life and that makes me responsible for you." The blond fixed the teen with a pointed stare. "As such, I won't return you to the jail without a good enough reason."

The raven sighed, resigned and weary, his shoulders drooping in defeat. His eyes perceived the lies easily, but this man was genuine in his concern and motives. "You're a strange person, Rei-san," he stated with an exasperated shake of his head.

The blond waved his courtesy off. "Just Rei is fine."

Shisui brushed a hand through his hair as he shifted uncomfortably. This was a secret mission after all and revealing its details to another party, to the person from outside of the village, to the foreigner who might as well be an enemy-nin, was bordering on the real treason. The young Uchiha was positive that Rei wasn't an enemy, but from what little he knew about the blond, he could clearly tell that the terrorizing someone wouldn't be above him. Rei was wild and unpredictable with the terrifying skillset, perfectly suited to infiltrate the village.

"You know, ma and pa are gonna notice that you sneaked through the back window in the middle of the night if you keep silent," Rei teased. "And it's not even for a girl."

Shisui shot him a withering look before quipping back, "And whose fault that is?"

The blond's grin was bright enough to power generators. He had so much fun teasing the poor Uchiha, even if he ended up blackmailing an answer out of him. Good thing that he didn't feel guilt over such trivialities anymore. "You looked like you needed a breath of fresh air," he admitted.

The teen felt no urge to contradict his statement because it was, in fact, true. "Danzo tried to convince Hokage that I'm a traitor selling sensitive information to an enemy-nin. You." He pointed at Rei who stayed silent, though the furrow on his brow did betray his dissatisfaction. "The Sandaime didn't believe him, but to take that bastard down we need solid proof. My arrest is just a cover-up to lure Danzo into a trap. If he wants my eyes, he'll find a way to get to me."

A pleased expression settled on the blond's face. "It's admirable to see Konoha finally taking actions to get rid of some trash in their backyard. Alright, I won't interfere unless absolutely necessary."

"You already did. If they notice that I'm gone–"

"Don't worry, kid. I left a disguised shadow clone in your place. They'd never tell a difference."

Shisui released a huge exhalation of pent-up breath and his stiff posture sagged in relief. Rei chuckled.

Suddenly, the ground shook under two ninja's feet, disturbing the river water and sending thousands of ripples throughout the whole length of it. The pillar of a huge cloud of dust shot up into the night sky from somewhere within the ruined village and soon a strong gust of wind blew past them.

Rei scowled at the sight. As an influx of memories rushed back to his mind, he facepalmed.

"What was that?"

"Don't mind that," the blond said as he dragged a palm across his face, his tone carrying a distinct edge of chagrin. "Some of my shadow clones just dropped a building on top of other clones heads. Pretty sure, they think it's hilarious."

Shisui's expression morphed into something that the older man couldn't quite describe and it took all of his willpower not to laugh at how perplexed he seemed.

"There are so many things wrong with those sentences," the Uchiha noted slowly.

"Like what?" Rei inquired innocently, at the same time willing an army of clones to appear behind him. They all scattered so quickly that the only thing the naked human eye could see was orange streaks vanishing into the ruins. This time the original did laugh at the deadpan stare he received from his young friend. "I'm clearing up the rubble to accommodate the future residents," he explained as he gazed at the surrounding dark and quiet remains of the village. "I'm gonna rebuild Uzushio."

The sheer conviction in those words stunned Shisui.

"It will take time, but that's fine," the blond continued. A small smile rested on his lips, one that was stunningly affectionate, with an immense amount of fondness simmering in his cerulean eyes. "This land is calling out to me. Maybe it's just my imagination, maybe it's the Uzumaki blood inside my veins, but I feel good in this place." He paused, then hummed in thought. "It feels like home."

Naruto visited Uzushio for the first time back in his own world while searching for any kind of useful information on seals. The strange, sudden feeling of belonging, stirring somewhere deep inside his soul, simply overwhelmed him as if he was a wanderer returning home after dozens of years. The only difference was that he had never before stepped onto this ground.

Still, Uzushio invited him to stay and Naruto accepted it in a heartbeat.

There was a place – the secret vault of the Uzumaki clan. The boundless knowledge and wisdom were hidden, locked away to prevent it from falling into enemy hands during the purge of Uzushio. It took him years to crack the multi-layered protection arrays with his mediocre expertise in the Art at the time. In the end, it was so worth it.

Uzumakis were brilliant at creating and researching various seals, their very blood and essence of chakra holding the properties of sealing ability. Time and space were mere playgrounds for the Sealing Masters of the highest level. But while they didn't lack the imagination and creativity, even their vast pools of chakra fell short of supporting their most innovative and bizarre ideas.

Naruto in his unique state had no such limitations. So, he experimented. That he was standing here right now spoke volumes about his strength and current prowess in this exoteric and mostly forgotten Ninja Technique.

"I feel the same about Konoha."

"Of course, you do, Shisui. Your Will of Fire is strong, even I can see it."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a while, just staring at the glimmering river's surface.

"Can I ask you a favor, Rei?" Shisui asked after a while.

The blond turned to look at the Uchiha and blinked at the intensity, burning in the raven's onyx gaze. "Sure."

"You know about Itachi, right?" When Rei nodded, the teen continued, "If something happens to me, can you please look after him? He's like a little brother to me. It'll put my mind at ease knowing that someone will watch out for him if I'm not around anymore."

Rei stared at him for a bit. "I promise."

The relief that bloomed on Shisui's face was astounding. "Thank you," he whispered, offering a grateful bow.

The blond swiftly hooked an arm around the boy's neck before he could straighten up, an easy grin toying with corners of his mouth. "You're way too serious for being merely a kid," he teased, ruffling the Uchiha's black mop and eliciting a sputter of indignation. "Relax. With me having your back, everything will be fine."

"I'm not a kid!" Shisui objected as he flailed his arms, trying to free himself from the older man's one-arm impromptu hug. There was a petulant, embarrassed undertone in his voice that he definitely didn't mean to put there. "I'm a Jonin! And have been one for a few years now!"

Ah, the joy of teasing those poor, serious Uchihas! "Have you ever kissed a girl yet?"

The teen's face turned a light shade of red and he glared up at the blond. "…Of course, I have!"

Rei's grin grew only wider. "Guys' night out then!" he declared merrily. "It's been ages till the last time I had a company for a drink. There is this nice, homey place in the Tea Country that you absolutely must visit at least once in your lifetime!"

"Eh? Wai–"

The salty ocean breeze blew across the empty river bank after two people blinked out of sight.

* * *

Gaara was waiting patiently like every night for the past three months. He sat at the edge of the roof with his legs pressed to his chest and knees tucked under his chin as his teal eyes stared somewhere in the distant, not really seeing much. A thin layer of his sand covered the whole roof, also waiting.

And while there was no guarantee that the strange man would come tonight, the boy was content on remaining where he was. The village around slowly descended into the nocturnal stillness, the bustling of the people hushing into occasional shouts from the late passersby and slurring songs of the drunkards.

A sudden crunching sound of dusty gravel under someone's sandals from behind startled Gaara from his meditation he accidentally fell into. The sand rose with a mere thought, concentrating the attack into that one spot.

The redhead scrambled to his feet, pivoting sharply to look if he was successful. He caught sight of the orange flash from the corner of his eye on his left and it was enough of a sign to understand that his plan failed.

"Oh, how sneaky of you, Gaara," Rei noted cheerfully, skidding to a halt after dodging an ambush.

Gaara's heart sunk. Maybe he went too far? Would this person think of him as a monster now too? But considering how fast the man was, without a proper plan he would never catch him and…

 _ **And kill him!**_

…and kill–

Teal eyes widened a fraction. No. He didn't want to listen to that nasty voice in his head.

"And so smart! Good job!" the blond praised as he flashed a thumbs-up, the usual sunny grin spreading across his face.

A warm and pleasant feeling swelled inside the little Jinchuuriki's chest. No one ever complimented him before. Definitely not for trying to kill–

No. The boy shook his head. He wasn't obeying the voice this time. Not when this person was so nice to him.

 _ **That Yashamaru was also nice… until he tried to KILL YOU! Have you forgotten?!**_

Ignoring the voice, Gaara swung his arm forward, sending the sand after the blond. The two opponents easily fell into the regular rhythm of their game.

 _ **Don't you want to see what kind of shade is this human's blood?**_

"No…" he whispered, curling his fingers as the sand closed around Rei. The boy expecting him to vanish from his grip and reappear right next to his side. As always.

But it didn't happen this time.

The sand wrapped around the soft human body, ready to crush, to squish, to murder, to make the rain of blood fall.

Gaara gawked, caught completely off guard. He never foresaw this, never predicted that he would be able to catch this person anytime soon.

Rei tilted his head slightly to the side, seemingly unbothered being bound by the hardened sand, watching the boy, some kind of expectation mixed with curiosity shining in his eyes depths. "So, what now, Gaara?"

 _ **Kill him before he betrays you!**_

Gaara's fingers twitched. The sand tightened around his captive just a tiny bit.

 _ **Do you want to end up hurt again?!**_

He didn't, but… But this person was kind and never brought any harm to him. And he was the only one who voluntarily touched him. Gaara loved his hair ruffles. Not even Yashamaru ever dared to touch him. The sand never allowed that either. Before this person came.

 _ **He's deceiving you and you know it. Kill him now!**_

The boy's breathing picked up. What if the voice was right and this person would betray him just as his uncle did? He swore never to trust anyone else but himself because no one would ever give a monster like him a chance.

"Do you want to be an Oni?"

Gaara recoiled violently at the question, frightened eyes meeting the calm and kind blue ones. Oni. Demon. Monster. Did he want to be it? No. No, he didn't. "No…"

His reply came barely audible, but the blond heard him nonetheless. He smiled, the same absurdly friendly and easy-going grin of his. "So, what do you have to say?"

The boy blinked, his brain working a mile a minute, searching for an answer. He was afraid to get it wrong because then this person would definitely be disappointed and might decide to stop being this nice.

"T-tag…" Gaara mumbled, uncertain if that was a correct response. "You're it."

"That's right!"

The little redhead released his hold on the man and the sand scattered on the roof around the latter's feet harmlessly.

 _ **You fool! He's going to betray you! Just mark my words!**_

Gaara watched as Rei approached, apprehension and dread pooling in his gut. When a familiar hand landed on his head, he flinched.

"You did well, little kit." Rei's tone was quiet and soothing, his expression radiating approval. "I'm proud of you."

The boy stared at the adult crouched in front of him, awed beyond belief.

"You know about the great beast sealed inside you, right?"

Gaara's breath hitched. This person knew about it and still acted this nice. He nodded slowly. "You don't… think of me as a monster?" he dared to ask, though his voice was small and dejected. When Rei's smile closed and his lips thinned into a hard line, a pinch appearing between his eyebrows, the boy braced himself for the inevitable rejection. The voice was right. There was no way that someone, anyone would ever accept–

"You're not a monster."

Gaara couldn't believe his ears. The face of the blond suddenly started to get blurry and he blinked a few times, struggling to clear his vision, only for it to get worse. Something wet trailed down his cheek. He absent-mindedly brushed a hand across it and then stared at the dampness left on it in a stunned incredulity.

He was crying.

Why was he crying?

He wasn't injured. No one hurt him. Except, his chest tightened with a strange feeling that Gaara couldn't quite recognize.

Rei scooped the little Jinchuuriki up into a loving embrace. The latter froze, his whole tiny body going rigid. "Everything's okay, Gaara, you're not alone anymore," he soothed. "You're not a monster and neither is the Bijuu inside you, even if he's the big jerk."

As the initial shock of being hugged faded, the boy started to relax against the man's chest, tears still silently sliding down his face. He felt good. He felt accepted. This person was real and warm and _safe_.

Gaara closed his eyes, suddenly feeling tired. And saw yellow irides with four-pointed star-shaped pupils, surrounded by the black sclera, seething down at him. He wanted to escape, to snap his eyes open. He didn't want to become a prey for this terrifying creature, lurking at the back of his mind.

"Sleep, little kit. You'll feel better after some rest."

Gaara wanted to tell Rei that he couldn't, that if he did the scary monster would come out, that he didn't want to hurt him or anyone else, but his eyelids were so impossibly heavy, fatigue gnawing at his muscles and bones. He was powerless to stop himself from slipping into the blissful sleep, the gentle hand brushing through his hair lulling him further.

Rei's frown was deep and sad as he carefully settled now sleeping Jinchuuriki on the roof. He had planned to fix the seal once the boy trusted him more, but he couldn't let Shukaku keep tearing his already fragile sanity apart. Gaara had to heal his mind first. Once he was ready, Rei would be there to guide him in forming a bond with his constant companion.

The blond pushed one hand under the kid's shirt and laid it on top of his stomach where the seal was located. Then closed his eyes.

A furious roar of the Ichibi washed over him the next instant, its strength rivaling the winds of hundreds of desert storms. The very air and liquid inside the mindscape reverberated to the tune of the giant raccoon's outcry of wrath and desperation.

Once the roar trailed off into the muted echoes around the never-ending space of the seal, Rei stuck his finger into one of his ears in a mock gesture of trying to clear it and peeked at the enraged Bijuu with one eye. "So rude," he commented nonchalantly.

Shukaku all but howled in his immense irritation. Pushing every limits of freedom the seal allowed, he swung his tail and smashed it into the spot where the puny human had been standing.

"Calm down, you brat!" Rei scolded. His words were followed by the punch to the top of the Ichibi's head, carrying enough force to outright flatten the gigantic body against the ground. The blond landed in front of his nose and rested a hand on it. Blue eyes softened when he felt the great chakra beast stiffen under his touch. Of course, the Bijuu would feel _its_ presence inside him.

" **You!** " Ichibi screamed, albeit much subdued than usual. He didn't – or perhaps couldn't – move away from this human. " **How is that possible?!** "

"Who knows," Rei replied dismissively. "Ne, Shukaku, I know how much humans hurt you and your siblings," he spoke softly, stroking the Ichibi's nose in an unbelievably affectionate manner. "But as much as I care about you all, Gaara is equally important to me. I can't let you torment him any longer." The ink lines spread from his feet, covering the whole area and crawling up the stone spikes, strengthening the effect of the previous seal. "Gaara is a kind soul, but he's young, hurt, and lost at the moment. I truly believe that you two can become friends in the future if you give the boy a chance."

Shukaku snorted, but stayed uncharacteristically silent. " **What exactly are you?** " he finally asked.

"A ghost." Rei's lips curled into a sad smile. "A ghost of the future that will never come." He patted the colossal raccoon's nose for the last time and faded from the mindscape with the departing words, "Have some patient, my friend."

* * *

Rei woke from his midday nap on his favorite branch of the grand tree, growing in the middle of Uzushio. Not in any kind of rush to get up, he stretched his arms above his head, yawning, and stilled when he felt a tug on one of his Hiraishin beacons. The one on the kunai that he gave to Shisui, and this time it was the right person calling him.

He chuckled at the memory from a few days ago. That Uchiha was way too innocent for his own good. With a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, the blond flashed away and arrived at his destination in a blink – an empty warehouse on the outskirts of Konoha, far from any civilian traffic.

The moment the blond appeared, dozens of seals around him flared to life: several different binding seals, paralyzing arrays, chakra dampening and suppressing matrixes, so much stronger than the ones on Shisui's cell walls.

The blond whistled in appreciation, curiously scanning the impressive trap he just waltzed into, before giving his attention to the people standing in front of him, ignoring the bunch hidden in the shadows. His gaze slid from the Sandaime to Jiraiya, lingered on the man for a bit longer, and then flicked to Shisui. There was an apology written on the teen's expression and the blond suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

Definitely too honest for his own good.

"Oh my," Rei said, light and carefree, a wide grin upon his features. "It seems I'm in a bit of a pickle."

* * *

 **A/N**

What do you think, how many Uzukages Uzushio had before its destruction? It would be quite ironic (and awesome) if Rei-Naruto became the Yondaime Uzukage, but considering Uzumaki's longevity, I'd say the Sandaime would make more sense. Which also would kind of ironic (and funny), though on lesser degree. Leave your opinion in the comments!


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter, guys. This chapter was a pain in the... I definitely got a few strands of white hair trying to plan it out. And I'm not completely satisfied, but I think this is the best I can do. If I've learned anything these past couples of years of writing, is that these crappy chapters happen from time to time and you can't really do anything about it. I like the ending though, so that's something.

Also, Jiraiya. This is my first time writing his character and I knew that I need time to get used to a new face, but he certainly didn't want me to warm up to him -_- And I got frustrated because of that. So, yeah... Characterization might be a bit wonky in this chap. I think I even siphoned a bit of my own bitter opinion during Rei-Naruto's speech. Oops?

Buuuut enough whining. This fic is not completely serious, so meh, it's fine. Right?

 **Mistakes! Mistakes are everywhere!** Cause it's not betaed.

* * *

 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 5

* * *

The Sandaime and Jiraiya were prepared to face Minato's brother. They had read all the information about his appearance and character in Shisui's reports and they had enough time to brace themselves of what was to come. Still, the moment the man in question appeared out of thin air before their very eyes, they felt like someone sucker-punched them.

This man was definitely related to Minato Namikaze, no doubts about that. No one could deny the sheer resemblance between the two: the same vibrant golden hair, even styled into a similar hairstyle, the same cerulean eyes, bright and sharp, the same slender body, built more for speed rather than brute force, the same approachable, easy-going feeling about him.

The form of his face and most of his features were different though. Honestly, the first time Hiruzen had laid his eyes on the blond stranger, the image of the little Naruto popped in his mind. It seemed that the boy took after his uncle even more than his father.

"Oh my, it seems I'm in a bit of a pickle."

The man sounded utterly delighted and positively untroubled, his mouth stretched into an easy grin and blue eyes watching them all with noticeable hilarity. His genuinely cheerful attitude in such an unfavorable situation startled both the Sandaime and Jiraiya, while Shisui let out a sigh of exasperation, already kind of used to Rei's eccentric behavior.

"So, Shisui," the blond called cheerfully. "Do I need to kick the asses of these guys for you? Is that why you called me?"

The Uchiha's eyes grew as big as plates, having no doubt that this crazy person might just really do what he promised. "No! Nonono, don't do that!" he blurted out before he could gather his bearing. Realizing his mouth running away from him, he shot a terrified glance at the two older men next to him.

Rei smothered a fit of laughter. "Relax, kiddo, I'm just kidding."

A strong urge to punch him tickled Shisui's nerves. Instead of giving in, he took a deep breath and composed himself. Motioning towards his superiors, he introduced, "This is the Sandaime Hokage and Jiraiya the Sannin."

"I know who they are," the man replied coolly.

' _And you still threatened to kick their asses?!_ ' the young Jonin screamed in his head. Rei was insane, he decided there and then. This person was absolutely out of his mind.

"You're quite a cheeky fellow, aren't you?" Jiraiya commented lightly.

The blond chuckled. "Guilty as charged," he agreed readily.

The Sandaime coughed to get their guest's attention. When the latter's eyes in that achingly familiar shade of blue swung to look at him, Hiruzen suppressed a shudder. Despite the obvious air of frivolity, there was _something_ lurking in the depths of his aura, hidden from prying gazes and cautiously kept in check. Something dangerous and deadly that sent every instinct of the experienced ninja like him on high alert.

This man was definitely not that simple. They needed to be careful; the Hokage had seen ninjas change their demeanor in less than the blink of an eye.

"I apologize for such a crude method to contain you," the elderly Sarutobi spoke in kind. "But you and your intentions are unknown to us and therefore such approach was a necessity to ensure the safety of both parties involved. I do hope you understand our worries on the matter."

Rei's grin widened, the prolonged canines only emphasizing his naturally wild and unruly disposition. "Crude method indeed. Even Jinchuuriki would be hard-pressed to withstand all these seals," he said and yet he didn't seem to be hard-pressed himself. Or even bothered by them in a slightest. "But I understand. Though I dislike being caged in any way, shape, or form, I'll try to bear with it until we're done."

"Can you, please, tell us your name?"

"Rei."

"No last name?"

"Uzumaki after my mother, Namikaze after my father. Choose whichever you prefer," the man replied without skipping a beat. He grinned at dumbstruck expressions of people in front of him. "Minato and I don't share the same mother," he explained, taking pity on them. "Although, for a new leader of Uzushiogakure, I guess Uzumaki is more appropriate. Not to mention that I'd have the same surname as my nephew…" The blond hummed. "Yep, let's do that! Rei Uzumaki, at your service."

"Minato never spoke of you," the Hokage noted carefully.

"Well, he hadn't known about me," Rei answered with a subtle 'obviously' hanging somewhere in the air. "And I lived far, far, far away from this place. So far away that it feels like a totally different world." The moment he finished speaking, he stuffed his hands into his pockets, a perfect picture of nonchalance.

Suddenly there was a spark of chakra discharge on the far left side. Everyone instinctively glanced at it just to witness the paralysis seal sizzle and die.

"Uh…" the blond stammered before flashing a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. It was an accident. I'm completely innocent."

The Hokage's face darkened and Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched. "These seals have no effect on you whatsoever, am I right?" the latter questioned.

"What are you saying? I'm completely trapped here. Can't even move."

The man was making fun of them, the three of them were pretty sure of that. Couldn't move, their ass. He was happily rocking on his heels even when he said that, the punk.

"Ah." Realizing his own contradicting actions, Rei stopped moving. But as any true Uzumaki, standing still for long was near impossible for him. "Fine," he said, lifting his arms up in a mock surrender. "You're right. They have little effect on me."

Jiraiya's eyes lit up. "Can you tell me why?" It was the first time he met a live being that was immune to seals, so as the self-respecting Seal Master, he was burning with curiosity.

"Hmmm," the blond hummed again, peering up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "With my current skills in the Sealing Art, dismantling the seals of this level from inside is as easy as breathing. I find a weak spot and with a flick of my chakra it goes poof." Another seal discharged a burst of chakra and faded out of existence the moment his voice fell. "…Just like that," Rei finished with an unenthusiastic shrug, his whole posture screaming 'bored'.

The Sannin stroked his chin, gaze staring at the seals, painted on the ground. This wasn't the first time he had heard about destroying the sealing arrays by infusing chakra into the weakest spot and simply tearing the construct apart, but to do that one had to possess an immeasurable amount of knowledge in seal creation and utilization theory. Only the highest Seal Masters of the Uzumaki clan were known to hold such abilities!

Jiraiya was always passionate about the Seal Techniques, even if he wasn't that good at that. Meeting such an expert, now that the Uzumakis were gone, and maybe getting some tips was a chance of a lifetime he was not about to miss.

At this point, the real purpose of their gathering was already forgotten by him, pushed aside by an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. "But how can you still use chakra under the effect of these chakra suppression seals?" the Sannin put forward another question.

Rei's megawatt grin was back with vengeance. "Tell me, can a person force the whole ocean to stay still? Stop all the underwater currents and allow not a single wave to appear on its surface?" His eyes scanned the surroundings, counting the chakra suppression seals. "Can six people do that?"

Shisui just looked confused. He had only fundamental knowledge in this exotic art and this trap seemed like an impregnable stronghold for him. The moment he saw it and was asked to call Rei here, he was so worried about his new acquaintance. His heart gave a guilty lurch the moment the blond appeared – just like he promised – and all these seals activated.

But, of course, Rei took this situation as a joke. Shisui sighed. What else he could expect from the person who could pop into Konoha's most secure jail as if it was his own turf and then drag him around the world in the blink of an eye?

A small frowns formed between Jiraiya's and the Sandaime's eyes as they considered the blond's question.

The implication was clear – the seals were ineffective due to the man's vast chakra reserve. Higher than the Jinchuuriki's. And yet, not a single ripple of chakra emitted from his being. He could be standing right behind someone and the latter would never notice.

That thought was a scary one. He truly lived up to his own name.

The Sandaime stared at the blond, his mind working a mile a minute. Rei Uzumaki, a mysterious brother of Minato Namikaze, turned out to be such a proficient Seal Master, surpassing his every expectation. It also seemed that he followed his own principles and conduct with a blurry line between good and bad, and had no qualms about breaking the rules or going over the edge.

Unpredictable. Rei Uzumaki was perilously unpredictable.

As Shisui said, a wild card indeed.

The man's unrestrained nature combined with a perfect control over the jutsu as deadly as the Hiraishin and his skills to ghost around freely without being detected in the middle of the day while wearing such flamboyant clothes put him to the highest possible threat level. Who knew what else he was capable of.

Konoha couldn't afford to make an enemy like that. No village could.

It didn't look like the man held enmity against Konoha. Disregarding his fooling around, Rei already extended them the courtesy of cooperating with their interrogation. He could have broken out of this trap right from the start, but didn't. They had to use this opportunity and the man's goodwill to collect more information.

Before Jiraiya could shoot into a heated discussion about the seals, Hiruzen gathered his scattered thoughts and asked, "What is your purpose for arriving in Konoha?"

Rei glanced at him, raising his eyebrow into a skeptical 'Are you seriously asking me that?' expression. "Naruto. The Uchiha clan. Ichiraku Ramen," he listed out honestly before he suddenly quieted down. After a moment, an amused chuckle slipped through his lips followed by a lazy grin that sent shivers down everyone's spines for it wasn't his usual friendly, teasing smile, but a vicious sneer, filled with malicious glee. "Oh, yeah. And Danzo to a certain extent. Can't forget about that lunatic."

* * *

 **-a little bit earlier, Root HQ, Danzo's office-**

Danzo scowled at the paper in his hand, not really seeing its content. He had read the same line for the umpteenth time, but any kind of concentration eluded his paranoid mind and his eyes occasionally snapped from the document to glimpse around his empty office. The honorable war hawk, for all intents and purposes, looked almost jittery.

Danzo scoffed, his free arm sliding down towards his bottom before he caught himself and retrieved it immediately. The itch was there, though. Real feeling or not, it didn't matter. He refused to succumb to it!

The thought of such childish tricks used on him caused the old man's face twist with immeasurably murderous intent and the paper crumpled as his fist tightened around it. The moment he would get his claws on that hateful person who dared to insult him to this extent, he would make him regret to ever be born! Even if he had to bring a new chair every day to sit on because those annoying seals turned out to be too intricate to be removed, he would prevail in the end and make that fool pay!

Then, the next thing he knew, the room went dark. Danzo started, his body shifting into an alert mode with practiced ease. Darkness descended like the thick velvet curtains as if all light had been sucked out in an instant, leaving the lone man buried in the black obscurity which seemed to oppress him like an awful weight. No sound reverberated. No echoes. It was as if he were stuck in a void of nothingness.

He strained to see beyond the seemingly solid black walls around him, then lifted his hand and touched his own nose, but saw nothing. In fact, he couldn't even see an inch in front of him at all.

Danzo prepared to gather his chakra to try a genjutsu release and realized that he couldn't utilize his inner energy at all. To his utter disbelief and horror, it was completely sealed.

Pondering on what was happening and what to do, the Root commander could only gaze at the darkness, but then – _if you stare into the abyss long enough, something will stare back_ – sinister red eyes gleamed in its very depth, accompanied by a guttural, feral growl and a wave of almost palpable killing intent.

The old man froze. After a moment, his eye narrowed at the unknown creature, prowling around his office aggressively.

A quiet, haughty chuckle tickled Danzo's ear from behind. Fear like never before gripped his heart, but he dared not to move his gaze from the red-eyed predator in the darkness. He had never felt this helpless and powerless, at a complete mercy of whatever or whoever invaded his office.

And then the darkness vanished in the blink of an eye as unexpectedly as it appeared, together with the bodiless laughter and the shadow beast. The room remained unchanged, and Danzo might have reasoned that this incident was just a figment of his imagination, if not for one unsettling thing.

There were three words written on the wall opposite his desk, still dripping in fresh crimson liquid, while the acrid, metallic smell gradually pervaded the stale air.

 _I see you_

* * *

"Oh, yeah. And Danzo to a certain extent. Can't forget about that lunatic," Rei said, still reveling in the memories of his shadow clones. All that painstaking preparations were so worth it! Ah, the face that old bastard made! Just the thought of it send the blond into another fit of gleeful chuckles.

"Do you have some kind of grudge against Danzo Shimura?"

A question from the Sandaime forced him back to the situation at hand. Rei stared at the Hokage's face, still as wrinkly as he'd remembered. "Grudge?" he echoed. "He's an ass. Isn't that enough reason to dislike him?"

That earned him an unimpressed look.

"Che, fine," the man muttered. He straightened his back out of the previous lazy slouch and, so quickly it was frightening, his cheery and happy-go-lucky demeanor was gone, replaced by a heavy, humorless gloom. "You want to hear about all the ugly things, Old Man? I'll tell you." He paused, thinking it over. "Naruto's birth was supposed to be a secret. Only a select few knew of the secure location where it had taken place. Did you ever figure out how the intruder found it?" he asked but didn't wait for a reply. "Well, Danzo informed him."

The elderly Sarutobi's face darkened. "How do you know about that?"

"I have my way." Rei shrugged, unconcerned. "I'm not here to convince you. It's your choice to believe me or not. But deaths of my brother, my sister-in-law, your wife, and thousands of Konohans were the direct consequence of Danzo's treason." His sharp blue eyes moved on Jiraiya. "He was also one of the instigators behind the ambush of your students that resulted in one's death and the grief-induced madness of another."

The Sannin furrowed his brow. "My students?"

"Ame orphans." Jiraiya's eyes widened, but he was not allowed to insert even a word, because Rei continued, "Yahiko died, Nagato went crazy, and Konan was left to pick up the pieces. The person I'm hunting, the same one who unleashed the Kyuubi upon Konoha almost seven years ago, used Nagato's grief and guilt and roped him into his insane plan to destroy the world by collecting the nine Bijuu, their hosts not included. In the future, Naruto will become the target of their organization." The blond shook his head with a bitter smile. "Seriously, it's such a mess."

Everyone was still in the middle of processing this massive information dump when Rei was speaking again, "Now Danzo developed this gross obsession with Uchiha's eyeballs. He wants to wipe out the whole clan so that he could collect their Sharingan and implant into his creepy arm." He shuddered at the thought of that thing. "And you're ready to offer him the Uchihas on a silver platter."

The Sandaime bristled. "That's not–" he began, but wasn't allowed to finish.

"Honestly, when I arrived at Konoha, I was prepared to slaughter everyone in the Uchiha clan to preserve the peace," Rei confessed, his voice was indifferent, not a drop of sympathy could be heard. "But the longer I observed the situation, the more I understood that if I've killed all the guilty ones, Konoha would become a ghost town. Just what the hell were you thinking, Old Man? You simply can't drive such prideful people into a corner just because of one rogue member's actions and not expect them to lash out. They are not like a powerless, lone child that is unable to retaliate."

"Wait," Shisui suddenly uttered stiffly. "Rogue member's actions? Are you saying that it really was an Uchiha behind the Kyuubi's attack?"

Rei stared blankly at him for a bit, then clicked his tongue at the slip-up. He was getting unnecessarily upset and let out a deep breath to cool his head. Well, he couldn't take it back now. "Yes," he replied.

"Then… the man you're hunting?"

"The same Uchiha," Rei groaned, ruffling his own hair in frustration. "It changes nothing! That person is a missing-nin and had been for a long time. He doesn't care about his clan at all. If you get in his way, he's going to massacre you all himself. But you don't have to worry about him... That man is _mine_ to kill," he ended with a low growl.

"It seems there is a deep hate between you and him," Jiraiya noted carefully.

"My parents… My friends, sensei, teammates were killed by him or his allies. My village was reduced to dust, together with its people. My lifelong partner sacrificed himself to give me a chance at survival." Eyes like chips of ice gazed at the Sannin steadily. "So, yes, the hate between us is as deep as you can get."

The silence that followed settled on the warehouse like a heavy blanket. Rei felt irritated at the shocked and condoling expressions on the three people in front of him. A cold rage ignited in his chest, pointed at himself for talking so much today, for voluntarily ripping open the scars, scabbed long time ago, and letting all those ugly memories to ooze out and slither around his head, mocking him, tormenting him.

To pour his own heart here was definitely not part of the plan.

"I'm sorry for your loss," the Sandaime uttered kindly.

Rei just… stared. He didn't know what to do with that. There had been no time for grief or compassionate words during the war and after it ended, well, there was no one important enough left to say that to him.

After a few seconds of dazed gawking, the blond offered a tight, sad smile and lifted his hand to cover his eyes. "Thanks," he whispered. If his voice cracked just a tiny bit, no one called him out on it. "But enough about that!" he said forcefully, dropping his arm back to his side and revealing his face schooled back into a mask of casualness. "Let's talk about something else."

Hiruzen cleared his throat subtly. "Shisui already informed us about your plans to rebuild Uzushio, but rebuilding a village is a very arduous ordeal. Konoha would always welcome you and even offer our help with restoring the Uzumaki clan."

Rei blinked. That was an invitation if he had ever seen one. He smirked. _Very smooth, Jiji_. "Maybe," he said. "But no."

The Hokage wasn't deterred by the blond's instant refusal. "You should give yourself some time to think about…" he trailed off when Rei held three fingers. Confusion fluttered across his geriatric features. "Yes?"

"Three reasons. First," Rei folded one finger, "as I've already said, I dislike being caged in any way, shape, or form. Joining Konoha would compel me to follow your rules, restraining me in a way you can't even imagine." He folded the second finger. "Second, the power balance would be shot to hell with me joining you. Between Konoha's local clans and also between the major ninja villages. I'd rather not deal with that kind of shitstorm. Third," he folded the last finger and returned his hand into his pocket, "I don't wish to see some people that live in Konoha. If I settled here, it'd be too troublesome to avoid them."

The Sandaime's frown deepened. "Do you have a grudge against those people?"

"What's with you and grudges?" Rei asked, baffled. "No. I want to protect them. I simply do not wish to see them."

"That makes no sense!" Jiraiya piped in with a grumble.

Rei laughed at the almost pouting face of his sensei's counterpart. Yet, he didn't elaborate. He never disclosed the fact that both of them were among those he didn't wish to see either. Because it was hard, too hard to look at the people, wearing the faces so achingly familiar, but knowing that they were not the ones he'd come to love.

"What about Naruto?" the Sarutobi tried again. "I assume you already made contact with the boy and I'm sure he would be happy to have you around."

"Maa, Naruto will soon turn seven. It might be a bit harsh, but on his birthday I will tell him about the Kyuubi and his father's real identity. At the same time–"

The Sandaime's expression hardened. "You cannot," he interrupted. "He is but a child, such news could completely destroy his chance at normalcy."

Rei rolled his eyes. "His normalcy was destroyed the moment Minato chose him as the next container for the Kyuubi. What is so normal about being hated by the whole village and not even knowing the reason why?"

The elderly Hokage had no answer to give him. There was nothing normal about Naruto's circumstances, no matter how hard he deluded himself on thinking otherwise.

"At the same time, I'm gonna ask him if he wants to stay in Konoha or leave with me to live in Uzushio."

Rei's bold declaration was equivalent to dropping a bomb and everyone present was suddenly on high alert.

Hiruzen drew himself up with a ferocious glare, the killing intent flooding the warehouse. "We will not allow you to kidnap Naruto!"

"Kidnap?" Rei raised an amused eyebrow at the intimidating display. "Even if I wanted to kidnap my nephew… Who, exactly, is going to stop me?"

Blue eyes fluttered closed and when they snapped open, they were dyed in bloody red with pupils transformed into vertical slits. And together with their appearance, without any warning, the man's hidden aura unfurled around him like massive wings, bringing forth a great tsunami of raw chakra that washed across the warehouse in a tangible shockwave, obliterating all the seals into nothingness. Its force was unfathomable, outside of human's comprehension, and every heart of the observers skipped several beats in fear as they were sent stumbling back on the impact.

Several shadows moved from around the perimeter and all of a sudden there was a group of masked ninjas surrounding the Hokage and his two subordinates, poised and ready to fight. Yet, none dared to make a move against the stranger.

Rei held himself with an imposing, lazy arrogance, those crimson eyes half-lidded and gazing down at them all, very much resembling some dangerous predator that spent most of its time sleeping and ignoring the prey. He smiled, but it was not a pleasant expression. His grin was slow, tyrannical, and ominous, a mocking challenge to an insignificant opponent.

"If Naruto wants to stay, it's fine. I'll keep visiting him as I do now, nothing will change," the blond spoke in an eerily quiet voice. "If he decides to leave with me, you have two options. One, stay stubborn like this and lose any chance of associating yourselves with him. I'm gonna cut all ties with Konoha and you'll be left on your own without your precious Jinchuuriki. And two, not resist Naruto's departure and part ways with him on your own goodwill, giving the boy an opportunity at life far from all the crippling hate. In this case, I can promise that we'll come for a visit and if Konoha will meet any trouble, Uzushio will be there for you."

Rei let his ultimatum sink. Then his eyes blinked bright blue again and his aura was visibly pulled in, locked inside, and stored away like a slumbering dragon, without a single ripple to indicate its overwhelming existence.

"The choice is yours. I'll make myself scarce now. Farewell."

He was gone in the next instant.


	6. Chapter 6

**English is not my first language and this is not a professional article, so be aware that there are grammar mistakes present. If you can't stomach any mistakes, please, DO NOT read this.**

Also, yes, all my fics are just self-indulgence galore. This one is definitely not an exception; it's actually sharing No. 1 place with my One Piece TT fic 'For Better or For Worse'. Take it as you will.

* * *

 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 6

* * *

The atmosphere in the Hokage's office was so tense that one could cut the air with a kunai.

With the face more weary than usual, the Sandaime stood at the window with his hands cupped behind his back, staring at the people, busying themselves in Konoha's street that lay right in front of the Hokage's Tower. His gaze followed random person until they disappeared around the corners, but his mind was somewhere else entirely.

Jiraiya stood on the left side of the room, one shoulder leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He seemed relaxed, though his eyebrows pulled into a deep scowl completely ruined that image.

Shisui and two ANBU operatives positioned themselves on the opposite side from sannin, also lost in their own thoughts.

Hiruzen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can someone come up with a logical explanation of how Rei Uzumaki knows so many Konoha's exclusive jutsu and how he has slivers of the Kyuubi's chakra mixed with his own?"

The deathly silence was telling.

"Kumo's Gold and Silver Brothers," Jiraiya muttered finally. "Something like that could explain the Kyuubi's chakra."

"The Yondaime's seal on Naruto is untouched and in full power," the silver-haired ANBU reported hurriedly. "I checked it last night when the boy was sleeping."

"Owl," the Hokage called the second ANBU. "What do you think, how would you fair against that man? Can his chakra be subdued with your wood release?"

"I–" the ninja hesitated. "I sincerely doubt that, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen's age-lined face sunk into itself with the force of his frown. "Shisui, did Rei ever mentioned anything about Minato or maybe his sensei in your conversations that you might have missed to report?" he asked after another few tense minutes.

The Uchiha shook his head. "Nothing."

"Rei is the Uzumaki Seal Master of the highest level and lives in Uzushiogakure," Jiraiya noted absent-mindedly. "Maybe he freed Minato's soul and gained the knowledge of the jutsu from him personally."

"If Minato's soul was freed from the stomach of the Shinigami, then the other half of the Kyuubi was freed as well," the Sandaime pondered loudly.

"You think that he made himself into the Jinchuuriki?"

"It is a feasible assumption."

More like a wild guess, but it was something at least. Even with that, the mystery by the name of Rei Uzumaki was getting deeper and more obscure the more they thought about the elusive blond.

One fact was clear – he was the most powerful individual they, including the elderly Sarutobi, had ever met.

"Sensei," the sannin spoke, pushing himself off of the wall, "what are you planning to do about Naru–" Without any forewarning, he poofed away in the middle of the word.

Hiruzen glanced at the swirling chakra cloud in the spot where his student had been standing. "At ease," he placated the three alert ninjas in the room. "It's the Reverse Summoning Technique." Why would the Toads call Jiraiya? The timing was very suspicious. "Dog, Owl, you may leave."

Two ANBU dipped their heads in respect and shunshined away. It left only Shisui and the Hokage in the office.

"The Uchiha clan seems calm lately, but Danzo is acting strange," the Sandaime said, walking to his desk. "I fear that keeping you as bait in the ANBU detention center is futile. This is why I must ask if you are prepared to lure him in the open while working alone?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

Hiruzen looked at him and saw his old friend instead. He heaved a heavy sigh. Hopefully, Kagami would forgive him for putting his grandson in danger. "Do you trust Rei?" he asked suddenly. Seeing signs of reluctance on the teen's face, he smiled. "You can tell me the truth. I will not judge or ask for a reason behind it."

"…I do."

"Then take this," the Hokage said as he pulled the Hiraishin kunai from the inside of his robe and put it down on the desk before pushing it towards Shisui. "Rei gave it to you in order to call him if you need any assistance, so ask for his help if you come in need of it."

As the boy took and then hid the kunai with no hesitation whatsoever, Hiruzen marveled at the fact that Rei Uzumaki managed to earn the trust of the Uchiha in such a short period of time. The members of that clan were famous for their paranoiac misgivings about everyone and everything. While Shisui did differ from the rest of his clansmen, he still was an Uchiha.

None of his inner musings showed on the Sandaime's face when he cautioned the young ninja, "Be careful, Shisui."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

* * *

It was over an hour later when Jiraiya reappeared in the Hokage's office, his face wrapped in a fierce scowl that didn't promise anything good.

The Sandaime leaned back against the chair, puffing on his pipe, and gave his undivided attention to his student. "Jiraiya."

The sannin snapped from his contemplative state, cleared his throat, and said, "The Great Toad Sage told me something very important."

"A new prophecy?"

"No." He looked his sensei straight into his eyes. "He sees nothing. Most of his old prophecies are completely annulled. "

A pipe slipped from Hiruzen's suddenly lax fingers, hit his hip, and clattered on the stone floor, scattering glowing cinders around.

"It started three months ago and it gradually spread until the old Sage suddenly realized the changes. The old future was swept away in a whirlpool, he said, and the new one is still forming." Jiraiya huffed and then grumbled, "How does that even work?"

"Whirlpool?" the Sandaime echoed. A foreboding feeling churned in his guts and he quickly rifled through a bundle of papers, pulling one out. "Three months ago was when the first report of the Yondaime's ghost sighting came in. The first time Rei Uzumaki was spotted in Konoha."

The white-haired man shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Seems a bit too coincidental to be a mere coincidence."

If that was the truth, Rei Uzumaki's arrival caused waves of alterations that apparently forced the future to collapse and then reform.

How was that even possible?

Who _exactly_ was Rei Uzumaki?

* * *

Naruto wrung his hands nervously as he observed the small group of kids, dividing themselves into different teams, accompanied by joyful laughter and delighted squeals.

Anxious blue eyes darted behind the children and onto the circle of adults, chattering among themselves, sharing news, gossips, and discussing joys and troubles of the parenthood.

It was his last chance to play at least one game with his peers before their families brought them home. The thought of slinking back to his own empty apartment didn't scare the little blond as it had used to. He had Rei now. He had his uncle. And while the older blond couldn't spend all the time with him, the homemade dinner every other day and a loving, "Goodnight" as Rei tucked him in for the night was more than anyone gave him before.

Steeling himself and mercilessly pushing down the dreadful idea that he was just setting himself up to be hurt, Naruto approached the kids, hands trembling, and asked, "Can I play with you?"

They all turned to him. A sudden hush settled upon the playground, proud parental conversations falling silent for a brief moment before it returned as harsh whispers and sharp hisses, followed by cold glares.

The blond's already measly amounts of self-confident oozed out like air from a popped balloon no matter how hard he tried not to get discouraged.

An older boy stepped forward. "We don't want an ugly freak like you!" he declared. As a few giggles resounded from behind his back, he puffed his chest as if he had done something to be proud of.

"Yeah, we don't want to play with you!" another voice joined in.

"Just look at those whiskers," a girl pointed her finger at Naruto's face. "So gross!"

Naruto attempted to flee, but his retreat path was cut off by the kids encircling him. He bumped into someone and was shoved back into the center.

"He looks like an animal!"

"No wonder my mom said that he's a demon!"

"I betcha that's why nobody likes him. I betcha his own parents left him because they didn't like him."

"Ne, ugly freak, how is it not to have any family?"

"I– I do have a family."

Faintly spoken words stopped the group in their jeers of insults.

"You don't!"

Naruto felt anger churning deep into his guts. "I do, 'ttebayo! I have–" _Rei_ was left unsaid as the blond bit his lip. He had a family. He had his uncle. And his parents loved him, Rei told him so and he believed him with all his heart. But Rei also told him to keep his existence a secret, because if someone knew they wouldn't be allowed to meet. The boy knew that and was determined to keep a promise–

"Liar! You don't have anyone! Nobody likes you!"

–but his mouth moved without his consent and words slipped through before he could swallow them down, "I'm not lying! I have Re–!"

"Shut up!" this time a harsh scream from one of the adults interrupted him and the parents who stood on the side till now swarmed closed.

Naruto saw eyes, cold eyes full of loathing and disdain. Glaring angry eyes attached to glaring angry people, accusing him of things he hadn't done and would never do. He cowered under their hateful gazes. "I–"

"Stay away from our children!" a woman shrieked, tugging her daughter behind her as if hiding her from some kind of monster.

"We don't want you to play with them," a man demanded sternly.

"You nasty little demon."

A muted hiss from behind his back caused the small blond flinch. "I'm– I'm not–" His own tongue failed him at this very moment, bright blue eyes shining with unshed tears. Rei said that he wasn't a demon. "Not– Not a–" Another attempt ended in failure. His shaking hands were balled into fists, nails digging into skin, desperation and anger and helplessness weaving around his brittle mind. Because Rei said– he said that he was not– he said he was, "…not a demon!" words finally tore out from his throat in a form of a cry at the top of his lungs

Hands landed on Naruto's shoulders and he froze, his heart skipping a beat in fear. He instantly screwed his eyes shut, awaiting the punishment with bated breath.

"Ah, such a _charming_ community, color me impressed."

Naruto blinked a few times when he heard this new voice. The crowd around them suddenly withdrew several steps, unmistakable shock plastered on each of their faces.

"A community of brain-dead sheep and rutting goats, so, _so_ eager to climb onto each other for a simple reason of satiating their primal need of reproduction."

The young blond raised his head and looked at the person hovering over him. Golden hair, mouth tilted into a smirk, super awesome orange haori… His happiness of seeing this man manifested outwards as a big, ecstatic, if a bit watery around the edges, grin. "Rei!" he exclaimed and a warm hand rose from where it was placed on the boy's shoulder and instead landed on his head, ruffling his hair in that intimately familiar affectionate manner. A giggle escaped Naruto's lips.

Rei's chilling gaze stayed fixed on the people in front of him, pinning them in place with cold efficiency. "And then we have a bunch of _marvelous_ spawns running around, incapable of using even the tiniest bit of that squishy mass inside their skulls and keen to repeat the cycle as soon as their reproductive organs are mature enough, breeding imbeciles upon imbeciles for the generations to come. Perfect little followers of the asininity of their dams and sires." Rei paused. "How lovely."

"W-What?"

"…Who are you?"

Rei's grin widened, but there was nothing in it that even remotely resembled any form of friendliness. Just a pure viciousness, wild and savage, promising pain and death and everything in between. "Prey animals shouldn't go around bullying someone else's youngsters for they may doom themselves by choosing the wrong youngster and getting themselves hunted down like insignificant things they are," he said and observed adults blanching with malicious glee.

The meaning of his words was completely lost on children. "What does he mean?" a few of them asked curiously, impatiently tugging at their mother's or father's arms to get an answer. They never received one though, because their parents were afraid to even breathe let alone talk.

Rei shifted his gaze and dismissed them all with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Run along now."

Sighs of relief rolled throughout the crowd. They hurried to gather their own and flee away from this person as far as possible.

"If you'll ever dare to hurt my nephew again, I'll let you witness the beauty of scarlet flowers blooming in full."

Everyone stiffened, the blond stranger's dark promise chilling them to the bone and ringing in their ears, and they immediately doubled the speed of skedaddling out of there.

Naruto watched in fascinated awe how those angry people trickled out of the playground with their kids in tow. He struggled to navigate through Rei's whole speech – too many hard words for his young mind – but he believed that his uncle was the coolest person in the world! He chased them away without lifting a single finger! And he protected him in front of everyone!

The small blond stilled when he comprehended the real weight of that statement. They saw him! They saw Rei! They were going to tell Jiji and he would never be allowed to see his uncle again! "You have to get out of here!" he suddenly yelled to the absolute bafflement of the older Uzumaki. "You can't– You can't be here, 'ttebayo!"

"I thought you'll be happy that I came to pick you up, not kick me out," the man commented, raising a questioning eyebrow at his obviously distressed nephew.

"You can't be here!" the kid insisted. As panic settled in deeper and deeper, his breathing became more rapid, shallower. "They saw you! They–"His thoughts seemed to jump from one thing to another and his sentences became fragmented. All his fears flooded his veins unchecked, rapidly spinning out of control. "Jiji will– He will– You said– Keep it a secret– I–" The world suddenly swam and he couldn't speak anymore, couldn't even suck in the air into his lungs.

"Whoa, whoa, kit, you're going into a panic attack."

There was a touch followed by a gentle rush of soothing chakra.

"Listen to my voice and breathe. In and out. Slowly, Naruto. In and out."

Rei's hand rubbed circles on his back, steady movements and tender voice working toward calming Naruto's uneven breathing and erratic thoughts.

"That's it. You're doing great," Rei said with a relieved smile. He cupped the kid's cheek with his palm and forced him to look into his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Naruto," he said, solid and firm. "No matter what others say or try to do, I'll never leave you alone. Do you understand me?"

The little blond nodded wordlessly.

Rei stared at him. "It's my fault that you misinterpreted my words, I should have explained the situation more," he muttered. "I'm sorry." He scooped the child up and stood up. Naruto instantly wrapped his thin arms around the man's neck and buried his face into the crook of it. "I've already met with the Hokage yesterday and he knows about me. You don't have to worry about that, okay?"

The boy nodded again, his golden mop brushing against the man's skin.

Rei furrowed his brow, eyes darkening. None of his inner worry or fury leaked into his soft tenor when he asked, "Rough day, eh? Wanna talk about it?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Alright," the older blond accepted his reluctance and didn't push the topic. "But if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here for you."

No reply came. Instead, the young Jinchuuriki tightened his death grip on the man's neck.

"Well… how about we go to the Ichiraku Ramen, m?"

This time, he heard a silent, silent whisper, "Okay."

A grin spread across Rei's face. He turned towards two Naras – big and little – who stood on the side and observed them with matching expressions of half-interest, half-boredom (how they managed to pull that off, he had never figured out), sent them a friendly hand wave, and strolled out of the playground.

Shikaku Nara scratched his three-day stubble, eyes now following the back of the unknown blond with a surprising sharpness. Uncle, huh? He never knew that Minato had a brother.

"I didn't know that Naruto has a family," young Shikamaru echoed his thoughts.

"Me neither."

This puzzle made a trip to the playground to pick his son after Yoshino almost nagged him to death quite worthy. Shikaku was intrigued. He was aware that until he satisfied his curiosity fully, he wouldn't be able to leave this be. And that meant lots of moving and asking questions.

Nara clan head groaned, "Aaah, how troublesome."

* * *

Rei smothered a laugh at another chuunin missing his step and tumbling down into an alley from the roof the moment he caught a glimpse of him leisurely walking down the street. If he had known that it would be this funny, he would have revealed himself to the ninjas much sooner.

Civilians followed his figure with shocked gazes and telltales of gossips. Some of them recognized him and fled his sight faster than one could utter 'run!'. Only minority paid enough attention to notice a child in his embrace.

Naruto hid from the rest of the world, safely snuggling up against Rei's chest with his face still buried in the crook of his neck. The panic attack certainly came as a surprise; the older blond didn't recall having one at any point in his life. Then again, he kind of blocked most of his early childhood memories and they were vague at best.

"Rei?"

A quiet call next to his ear shook the man out of his musings and he hummed in reply, "Hm?"

"Next time you leave, c-can you– can you take me with you?" Naruto sounded so unsure it was clear that he was grasping at straws and at the same time preparing himself to get rejected.

But such a request caught Rei off guard. "Take you with me?"

"I'll be good, I promise. I won't bother you, I listen to your every word, so, please…" The boy's voice cracked like glass shattering on a hard surface. "I don't wanna–" A sob choked him. "Don't wanna stay here..."

"You want to leave Konoha?" Feeling the little kid bobbing his head up and down, and just to be completely sure, Rei asked, "Do you realize that if you leave Konoha, you won't be able to fulfill your dream and become the Hokage?"

The man continued to make his way towards their favorite ramen restaurant in silence that followed his question.

After some time a hushed answer finally came from the young Jinchuuriki. "…Yeah."

"And you still want to move in Uzushio to live with me?"

"Yeah."

Oh, goodness. What an unexpected twist – Naruto himself asking to leave. Rei grinned. He had no problem of executing his plan a few weeks earlier. "Alright then," he said cheerfully. A shadow clone popped into existence and immediately moved onto the roofs to run towards the Hokage Tower.

The little blond jerked back, wide eyes locked on the man's face, searching. "Really?"

"Of course." Rei brushed the last drops of tears from Naruto's flushed cheeks, quickly running through the rebuilding progress in his mind. "Just give me, um, a week. It should be enough time to tidy up and prepare the place to welcome your arrival." He chuckled at the genuine wonder and amazement that replaced the drained out sadness and despair on the kid's features. "I have to warn you though – you might get lonely. Besides me, there are no other people yet in Uzushio."

"That's fine, 'ttebayo!" the boy assured in a rush lest his uncle changed his mind. "I'm all alone here anyway…"

"Well, the Whirlpool Island is not small. There are many places you can explore," the man comforted. "And we can visit Konoha whenever you want."

Naruto's mouth stretched into a toothy grin, blue orbs sparkling in their renewed happiness. "Yeah!" he burst out suddenly, fist-pumping the air, and then his limbs circled around his uncle's neck again. "Thank you."

Rei startled at the number of raw emotions in these two simple words: a swell of relief, mixed with overwhelming gratitude, as well as an unshakable trust. His face lit up with a soft smile and he patted the small blond's back. "That's what the family is for."

Naruto bubbled with laughter and squirmed in his arms. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the boy favored his uncle with a beaming grin, grabbed his hand, and tugged him impatiently. "Hurry up, Rei! I want ramen, 'ttebayo!"

"Alright, alright."

"Ramen, here we come!"

Allowing himself to be dragged along, the older blond watched the exuberant Jinchuuriki with a warm smile and amused glint in his eyes.

He should definitely push his Uzushio plans forward now and find Karin. She was the only Uzumaki that Rei was aware of, not to mention her age was similar to Naruto. The poor kid could use a friend. Or two, he thought as another redhead came to his mind. He wondered fleetingly if Gaara had Uzumaki ancestors hidden somewhere in his bloodline.

But first things first. Kusa, was it?

A mere thought later another shadow clone flashed away with a mission.

* * *

The Sandaime was gazing through the window, when his hidden ANBU guards unexpectedly swooped down from the shadows, filling the room with sharp sounds of blades being drawn. He frowned and turned around to see what exactly caused the disturbance and unconsciously stilled the second he saw the orange-clad man with his spiky golden hair, eyes that held one too many secrets, and a grin too wide and too wild to be trusted as something harmless.

When did he–

"Yo!" Rei greeted the Hokage cheerily, unbothered by the fact that four ANBU surrounded him with their weapons unsheathed, ready to cut him down at the moment's notice. "Sorry for barging in unannounced, I just dropped in to inform you that I'll be taking Naruto away from Konoha this week."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Why a sudden change?"

Something passed through the Uzumaki's cerulean irises, too fast to catch, but it caused the Hokage's heart tremble nonetheless. "The kid pleaded me to take him away," he revealed. There was an edge in his voice that promised nothing good. "After what happened today in the playground, I probably shouldn't be that surprised."

"What happened in the playground?"

"Shikaku Nara was there a minute or so earlier and was about to intervene when I showed up, so he can tell you. He's on his way here right now."

The Sandaime could kind of imagine what happened, as regretful as it was. The prejudice the villagers held against Naruto was truly troubling. "I understand," he said.

Rei stared at him. "You clearly don't," he deadpanned. "I'm not a good person, Old Man. Not anymore, anyways. There are lines that cannot be crossed with me and Konoha's people are teetering dangerously close doing exactly that," he warned. "I'm a patient man, but my patience is not unlimited. The moment it runs out…" He trailed off with a soft hum, leaving that unfinished sentence suspended in the air like an executioner's blade. "Lucky for you, it doesn't really matter now, since Naruto is coming with me."

It was neither a request nor asking for approval, merely a flat statement, a dry announcement of the thing to come.

The Hokage stayed silent.

"What's the point in Naruto's guards if they are there just to make sure that he's not hurt psychically?" Rei wondered all of a sudden, his head tilted slightly to the side as he fixed his gaze on one of the ANBU nearby, causing the latter to break in a cold sweat. "The emotional and psychological abuse is so much worse. At least Kakashi tries to lessen it when he's–" he abruptly cut himself off, stroking his chin in thought. "Oh, that might actually cheer the little kit up."

Rei vanished like the ghost he was, leaving the weary Sandaime and his startled guards alone in the office.

Someone knocked on the door.

Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Come in."

The door opened and Shikaku shuffled in, covering a yawn with his palm. He halted at the sight of the disheveled looking ANBU with their weapons still out and quirked an eyebrow. "Something happened?"

* * *

 **A/N**

I think the Sandaime could use a break right about now :)

I never was a fan of the whole prophecy deal in Naruto. I usually ignore it completely, in most cases because I forget (oops?), but this time I remembered! And instantly turned them into moot points. Ha! Take that!

Besides, it's fun. The person who destroyed the future. Aren't that scary and mysterious? But, uh, Rei did it. Destroyed the future. So. Yeah.


	7. Chapter 7

**Important AN!**

Just wanted to explain why I suddenly dropped from the face of the fanfiction earth: at the beginning of April, I was diagnosed with tendinitis (inflammation of tendons) in my right (main!) hand. I had it in the cast for over 5 weeks. It was painful and super uncomfortable, and after all this time it's yet to fully heal. A week of rehabilitation helped, but I'm still struggling with pain and inability to use it normally. Now, my left hand started to hurt and I'm afraid it might be the same thing. What I'm trying to say is that if my right hand won't get better and my left hand will get worse, I might disappear for a much longer time. Nothing is abandoned and eventually will be updated.

For the reasons above, this chapter is a bit shorter and most likely has more mistakes than usual. I wanted to update so that I could inform of my health issues, but naturally, I'm not in my best form to write at the full capacity. Also, reviews are honestly my saving grace when I feel especially upset. I probably memorized all of the current ones because of how many times I've read them, so I need some new reviews lol Just, please, don't bitch about my English. I know that it's bad and broken and plain unreadable in some places. I don't need to hear about it all the time, especially at this moment. If you can't ignore it, please give me a break and don't read my stories.

The last chapter brought on a very interesting response. Some were appalled by the characterization of my future Naruto, but the majority seemed to enjoy it. I just wanted to say, that there is a reason for Rei's OOCness, why he's so volatile. I'm not the author who outright spells such things right from the start, but I like to add enough hints and clues for you to figure it out on your own. Or you can simply wait until the time it will be revealed according to the plot.

I admit that it was my bad that I didn't add 'somewhat dark!future Naruto' in the description before that chapter came out. Honestly, I thought it won't be an issue. Apparently, it was. So, I added that bit in the story's summary.

* * *

 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 7

* * *

Kakashi stopped in front of the memorial stone, his lone eye instinctively finding four names in rows upon rows of the neatly written gold lettering. He focused on one name in particular today.

"Hey, Sensei," the man offered a quiet greeting and then paused as if waiting for a word back. The only reply he received was a breeze being carried through the surrounding forest, rustling leaves of lush trees and bushes. "I didn't know you had a brother. But I guess nobody knew, even you. He's—" He furrowed his brow. "He's here now and I don't know what to think about him. Is he genuinely invested in Naruto's wellbeing? Can we really trust him?"

In the watery light of the cloudy day, a slab of black granite was as cold as emptiness swelling inside him.

No close friends, no family, no other attachments—that was the mantra Kakashi kept repeating day after day. Because people he cared about always were the ones to pay the price. It was better for everyone if he kept others at a certain distance.

He really shouldn't care this much about that boy. He really shouldn't. Yet, he ignored his own warning time and time again by going to check on the little Naruto whenever he had time and working as his ANBU guard as often as he could.

And now that radiant bundle of energy, joy, and light would disappear from his life too.

Kakashi had no doubt that Naruto would choose to leave with his uncle, he knew that kid. He knew how much the hate and disregard affected the boy, how much he wept in silence. And he was powerless to do anything about it.

"I don't know what to do, Sensei."

Neither memorial stone nor the engravings offered him any salvation.

"Do people need to be dead for you to actually talk with them?"

Admirably, Kakashi didn't jump out of his skin when an unexpected voice suddenly sounded from behind him. While his heart reached a frightening speed in record time and adrenaline instantly filled his veins, a barely perceptible flinch was the only external indication of him being caught off guard. He quickly spun on his heel, a kunai sliding down into his palm, ready for action…

"Hi!"

Kakashi's mind drew a blank for a moment as he stared dumbly at the main cause of his current inner turmoil who just greeted him with a hand wave and a bright grin under the mop of golden hair. Why was this person here? He didn't sense his approach. Who knew for how long he had been standing there and listening to his...

Sudden anger flared at the realization that this person sneaked up on him and eavesdropped on his confession. The jounin clutched his weapon even more tightly and almost growled out, "Rei Uzumaki."

"Kakashi Hatake," the blond said back coolly, clearly finding this situation amusing. Two ninjas stared at each other for a bit in a tense silence before Rei broke it, "You didn't answer my question."

"…What question?"

"Do people need to be dead for you to actually talk with them?"

Kakashi eyed his sensei's brother wearily. "No."

"Good to know!" Rei exclaimed cheerfully. "There is a kid who could use a little pick-me-up today and I bet he'll be thrilled to meet you."

Kakashi's eye widened when on the last word the blond was suddenly right in front of him, his hand clamping on his shoulder and pushing him down. Then, there was a brief familiar sensation of displacement and the next instant Kakashi's butt landed on a chair, a cacophony of Konoha's noise filling his ears and the spicy, rich smell of ramen assaulting his nose.

It took a couple of seconds for Kakashi to orient himself, identify the place (Ichiraku Ramen, oh the irony), and notice two pairs of identical azure eyes staring straight at him in confusion from the adjacent seats.

Naruto scooted away from him as far as he could without falling from his chair.

The silver-haired ninja immediately hid the kunai behind his back and tucked it away into his weapon pouch. He smiled, eye closing instinctively so the boy could see—though it did nothing to soothe the fear in those weary pools of blue—and then mumbled an awkward, "Excuse me," under his breath as he proceeded to stand up and make his getaway.

The blond's hand still resting on his shoulder ruined his otherwise flawless escape plan.

Rei who was sitting on the other side of the little Jinchuuriki raised an eyebrow at his own copy that brought him here. The latter patted the stiff Kakashi over his shoulder and then simply poofed out of existence.

Apparently, the one sitting here was the original, because after a couple of seconds a corner of his lips quirked up. "Add another miso ramen to the order, Teuchi-san!" he shouted and Kakashi had an abrupt urge to punch that smug little smirk clean off of his face.

"Coming right up!"

"No need to be scared, Naruto," Rei said as he gently pushed the kid back to the middle of the chair so that he wouldn't fall down. "This is Kakashi Hatake. He was in the genin team your father had mentored."

The silver-haired man didn't know how this stranger knew that, but he didn't care at this moment. He needed to leave. Right now. He couldn't quite understand what exactly compelled him to stay here. How hard it could be to leave—he just needed to stand up and use a shunshin. So, why couldn't he muster an ounce of will to do so?

Perhaps due to Naruto's impossible wide eyes fixed straight on him, full to the brim of innocent, pure wonder. "You knew my dad, 'ttebayo?"

"Uh…" Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, not quite knowing how to deal with that kind of absolute admiration. If he decided to leave right now, he was sure it would break the kid's heart. But at the same time, his parentage was a secret. Was it alright to talk about it? "That's…"

Seeing the jounin's obvious reluctance to speak, Naruto's excitement wavered and his expression started to fall.

Rei, however, just rolled his eyes and let out a huff of exasperation. "Don't mind him, Naruto," he said with a grin, ruffling the hair of the young Jinchuuriki. "This guy is just a little bit shy in meeting new people."

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched at the comment. He shot a glare at the older Uzumaki when the younger one turned to look at the latter.

"He's an amazing ninja, though," Rei continued, seemingly oblivious the ire of the silver-haired jounin or perfectly ignoring it. "He knows more jutsu than even me."

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"He can also summon a pack of very skilled ninken."

"Ninken?"

"Yeah. All eight of them."

The kid's eyes sparkled in excitement. "Can I see them?"

"I don't know, Naruto," Rei replied in kind before motioning towards the jounin with his head. "How about asking Kakashi about that yourself?"

Kakashi on his part kept a steady glare on the blond man, his eye gleaming with a baleful fire and his mind working a mile a minute.

How come a newcomer to Konoha knew so much about him? His past and his skills weren't knowledge that one could gather in the streets with a simple reconnaissance. Information leak? Did this person have a spy among ninja of Konoha? Or did he broke into the Hokage Tower and read the personal files himself? With Rei's abilities, it wouldn't be so hard.

Kakashi's eye hardened with a resolve, deciding to go along with this blond bastard, for now, to learn just how much more Minato's brother knew and to make sure that he had no plans to use the stolen information against Konoha. Two could play this game.

Meanwhile, Naruto took a cautious peek at the silver-haired ANBU. The latter's dark expression made him instantly turn away again and he inched closer to his uncle. "N-no, it's alright," the boy murmured, clearly upset. Not even steamy bowl of freshly prepared ramen that was placed in front of him failed to cheer him up.

Rei frowned lightly as he broke his chopsticks apart and took a quick peek at Kakashi.

"If you want to meet my ninken, I can summon them for you."

The young Jinchuuriki's face lit up like a bonfire. "Really?"

Kakashi smiled, his eye forming a smile too to match the one hidden behind his mask. "Of course. There's no trouble." He felt quite smug when he saw a flash of surprise flittering across Rei's features.

Before Naruto could shoot the hundreds of questions undoubtedly queuing up in his head, the older Uzumaki chimed in, "That will have to wait until you ate, kit."

"Okay, Rei!" the kid exclaimed before looking back at Kakashi. "Thanks, Old Man!"

Rei almost spat out the mouthful of ramen that he just took. Unfortunately, some broth got in his pipe and he started coughing all the while struggling not to laugh and make his situation worse.

Kakashi grimaced at the title. "I'm not that old, Naruto," he objected.

"Eeeeh? But you have the white hair and all, 'ttebayo," the boy replied as he quickly slurped down his favorite meal.

Rei dropped a few pieces of bacon into Naruto's bowl that he picked up out of his own. "He really acts like an old guy, right?" he asked, his soft tenor layered with obvious mirth.

The little Uzumaki beamed. "Yeah! Thanks, Rei!"

Kakashi gave the man a withering look, then picked up his own chopsticks and gathered all the bacon in his serving of ramen. "Just call me Kakashi," he said while placing all the offering into the kid's bowl.

Naruto's head snapped up to look at him, sheer wonder on his whiskered face. Then his mouth stretched into a toothy grin—a smile that could light up any day, no matter how dark. "Alright, Kakashi! Thanks!" he chirped happily before digging into his food again.

"Very smooth, Hatake."

"Learned from your example, Uzumaki."

The blond's smirk widened into a small smile, the curve full of so much warmth it startled Kakashi. He recognized that smile, had seen the same expression on his sensei's face so many times and yearned to witness it at least one more time for so long. However, the touch of sadness, a glimmer of grief, and unfathomably deep sorrow in those sky blue eyes cut his breathing a little short.

Naruto glanced at the adult on his left, then at the one on his right, and frowned. He gulped down what he had in his mouth and inquired curiously, "You're not eating?"

Instantly, all those out-of-place emotions were carefully wiped from Rei's face, replaced by the usual laid-back demeanor. "Yeah, we're eating," he said. Soon he noticed his nephew's empty bowl and grinned. "What? Do you want the second already?"

The boy fidgeted in his seat, twisting the hem of his t-shirt with his hand. "Can I?" he asked shyly. "Get the second?"

Rei chuckled. "Sure, kiddo, eat as much as you like."

Naruto broke into a grin bright enough to equal the sun itself. "Teuchi-san, second!"

The ramen chef laughed, putting the already prepared warm dish in front of the eager child. "For such a small boy, you sure can eat a lot!" he observed.

"Of course!" Naruto shouted in excitement. "Rei said that I need to eat properly if I want to grow up as strong as he and then I'll become the Ho—" he abruptly cut himself off, his eyebrows knitting together. "Then I…" After a moment, he nodded to himself, obviously coming up to some decision. "And then I'll become the leader of Uzushio, 'ttebayo!"

Kakashi froze. Teuchi blinked.

Rei laughed joyfully and gave Naruto an affectionate hair ruffle, eliciting a delighted giggle. "That's my boy!" he exclaimed, his tone overflowing with immense pride. "Now I don't have to worry about the future of Uzushio anymore!"

Kakashi watched the two Uzumakis, feeling the familiar hollow void inside his soul growing, threatening to swallow him whole.

Naruto was definitely leaving. The last spark of light in his disastrous life was about to vanish, to never illuminate the darkness that surrounded him and show the path out of it. Without his light, Kakashi wasn't sure if he'd be able to find his way anymore.

"Hey!"

The jounin almost jumped at Rei's raised voice. His hand flew to grab the kunai in a reflex, but he retained enough awareness not to pull it out. With a sigh, he eased his mind and body from the sudden alert mode.

Rei was staring, the slight downward turn of his mouth giving away his concern. "Stop thinking about unnecessary things and eat your ramen," he urged in a surprisingly mother henish way. "It's getting col—" His eyes widened at the sight of Kakashi's already empty ramen bowl. "When did you—How did you—What?!"

Kakashi felt pretty amused by the man's unexpected fluster. When the latter fixed a frustrated glare on him, he simply quirked a questioning eyebrow. He didn't know why the man became this vexed, but he kind of felt pleased by the fact that he managed to put him off his stride.

"Get the second one!" Rei demanded. "I didn't see you eat!"

"No, no, I'm already full," Kakashi replied lazily, now truly curious why the blond was so insistent. "Besides, it's time for Naruto to meet my ninken, remember?"

The boy was just drinking the last broth drops of his second serving before he slammed the empty bowl on the counter and yelled out, "Yeah! Can't wait, 'ttebayo!"

"See?" Kakashi eye-smiled. "Time to go."

Rei clicked his tongue, shook his head, and muttered something under his breath as he pulled out the money to pay for their dinner. Something about missed opportunity and mask and 'how the hell he does that?'

"Hm?" Kakashi inquired politely. "You said something?"

The blond gave him the most brilliant deadpan stare.

Naruto glanced from one adult to another. "Um… What's wrong?"

"Nothing," they both stated at the same time.

"Ready to leave?" Rei asked. When Naruto nodded, he grinned.

And then a hand landed on Kakashi's shoulder without any warning and he suddenly found himself in one of the vacant Konoha's training grounds. His disapproving glower was met by the wicked smirk.

Damn blond bastard.

"Just how many Hiraishin spots you have in Konoha?" the jounin asked in an absent-minded manner, observing the man at the corner of his eye.

Rei scratched his head, humming in thought. "Dunno," he replied, short and unhelpful. "Lost the count after the first few dozens of them."

Kakashi squinted, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or just joking.

Minato's brother ignored his probing gaze and clapped his hands, a usual dazzling grin firmly on his face. "Now, show us your magic!"

"Yeah, Old Man Kakashi! Show us!"

Rei snorted, but covered his mouth in time to stop laughter from escaping.

Kakashi twitched at the name. Didn't he already bribe this brat not to call him that? He looked down at the little Uzumaki, ready to insist that he wasn't that old (even if he felt older than the dirt sometimes, it still was too early to be called an old man, dammit!), and froze at those pleading puppy eyes, sparkling in excitement.

"Uhhh…" the jounin drawled as he rubbed the back of his neck. The longer Naruto stared at him like that, the more his will folded like wet paper. "Alright then," he sighed.

The boy favored him with a beaming grin.

Kakashi strolled a bit further away, brushed his finger across the blade of the kunai, quickly made the necessary hand signs, and slammed his palm on the ground. There was a poof and after a moment eight ninken appeared in a chakra cloud: Bull in the middle with Pakkun sitting on his head and the rest around them.

"Yo!" Pakkun greeted him, lifting his front paw. "What's the occasion, Boss?"

"I promised someone that he could meet you all," Kakashi explained, motioning towards the two blonds.

"Whoaaaa! So cool, 'ttebayo!" Naruto gushed, running closer. "Can I learn to do that, Old Man Kakashi?!"

"Old Man?" Akino echoed while Shiba and Bisuke burst into laughter.

Kakashi ignored them with practiced ease and smiled at the little eager child. "Maa, I'm pretty sure your uncle will find you a suitable summoning contract."

Naruto whipped his head to look at the older blond. "Really, Rei?"

"I'll see what I can do about that," the man promised before gently pushing the kid towards the dogs. "And I'm pretty sure Kakashi will let you play with his pack for a bit." He turned to the silver-haired ninja and keeping his face absolutely straight, asked, "Right, Old Man Kakashi?"

Kakashi's eye narrowed into a glare at the name, but all he received back from Rei was an innocent eye blink. "Sure," he agreed as he gave Pakkun a meaningful glance—they were a pack and so verbal commands were unnecessary between them.

The pug nodded in affirmative. "Come here, pup," he invited the boy as he patted a spot behind him. "Let's go for a ride."

Naruto yelped in surprise when one of the ninken suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his t-shirt and threw him on top of Bull. Next moment, the whole pack and the child dashed away, leaving only barks and peals of delighted laughter in their wake.

"Thanks," Rei said quietly after a few minutes of silence. "Naruto needed something exciting like this today."

Kakashi furrowed his brow at the implication of those words. "What happened?"

The blond pushed his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels. "Just had to remind some people that the real monster in this situation is not Naruto." His features were set into a cold and indifferent mask as he spoke, but the fury and murderous intent swirling in those sharp blue irises betrayed his true feelings. "The kid was so shaken by those bastards, he even said that he doesn't want to stay in Konoha anymore. That was my plan in the first place, but I'd have rather asked him if he wanted to leave myself and not hear the child begging to take him with me."

Oh. So that was what happened. Kakashi's shoulders dropped. Konoha finally managed to break the little sunshine's spirit.

"Look, Kakashi," Rei said, sounding very serious now. "I'm not trying to turn Naruto against Konoha or anyone in this village, but he can't stay here. This is not the environment a child should grow."

The jounin agreed to that statement from the deepest parts of his heart, he really did, but they knew nothing about Rei Uzumaki. If Naruto was a simple child, he might not have questioned his motives. Unfortunately, the boy carried the burden of being the Jinchuuriki.

"If I said that I don't care about the Kyuubi, I'd be lying," the blond confessed as if reading Kakashi's thoughts. "But there are so much more to the Kyuubi and the rest of the Bijuu than humans know." He fixed the other man with a stern gaze. "They aren't only mindless beasts to be used as secret weapons by you people."

There was something inhuman about Rei's presence as he spoke, something unfathomably powerful and intense in his eyes that sent all Kakashi's instincts on high alert. He had to suppress the urge to back off.

Next instant, all that pressure disappeared without a trace and an easy smile brightened the blond's features. "Don't forget to add this to your report."

"…Right."

"What? You think I'd blurt something that I don't want the Hokage to know?"

Kakashi ignored him. Minato's brother wasn't stupid, so, of course, he understood his obligation as Konoha's ninja to report their meeting to the Hokage.

"Or that I wouldn't realize that you agreed with my request partially because you wanted your ninken to learn my smell?"

That surprised him, though sheer amusement in the blond's voice was downright confusing. "And you're fine with that?" he inquired carefully, narrowing his eye in suspicion.

"Sure, why not." Rei shrugged, definitely unbothered by that knowledge. "Honestly, I thought I'll have to bully you more to agree, so that worked in my favor." His mouth stretched into a savage grin. "It's not like your dogs will be able to help you if I ever became your enemy and was forced to attack you."

Those words were not an empty threat, Kakashi could feel it with every fiber of his being. Rei's sudden dominating presence, that chilling deadly aura, and that exhilarating air oozing with confidence were enough to make his heart shudder.

"But, hey," Rei slapped his shoulder, his malicious baring of teeth replaced by a cheerful friendly smile, "we're friends now, so I'll be counting on you coming to save me if I ever fall into trouble."

The jounin couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. As if this person ever would be in need of saving.

"In return, here." Rei held out the three-pronged kunai. "If you'll need any kind of assistance, want someone to keep you company, or simply wish to see Naruto, you can always call me and I'll come."

Kakashi stared at the familiar weapon, then glanced up at the man's genuinely honest face. Was he truly ready to accept this offering of friendship? He looked to the other side of the training ground where his sensei's son was rolling around in the grass, bubbling with merry giggles as he tried to avoid wet and cold noses of the assaulting ninken.

If this choice permitted of keeping his light in his life for a bit longer, the answer was obvious.

Without further pondering, his hand reached out to take the kunai.

"Good decision, Old Man Kakashi!" the blond cheered. "You should really be mindful of your age and—"

"Shut up," the jounin grumbled as he stuffed the blade into his weapon pouch.

Rei's laughter, carefree as the breeze, made Kakashi unconsciously relax. For the first time in years, he felt at peace.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you, everyone, for your support. You're amazing :) I keep reading and rereading all the comments. I don't reply to all of them, but know that I definitely read them all. Multiple times. So, keep them coming, guys! Haha!

* * *

 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 8

* * *

"Mom!" Karin shouted as she sprinted towards the little cottage where the two of them lived.

Outsiders like them were not supposed to live in the village, so two Uzumakis resided in this remote place, surrounded by lush forest.

There was a grin on Karin's face, eyes shining with excitement. She finally saved up enough money to buy sweet buns that everybody had been talking about and her mother even promised to return from work early today.

"Mom?!" the girl called out again as she opened the door with vigor. "You home?!"

The house was as silent and empty as always. Karin pursed her lips, pressing the box with her purchase more securely to her chest, then quickly crossed the kitchen and poked her head into their shared bedroom with a whispered, "Mom?"

Lately, her mother always took a nap after returning home, so Karin was afraid to wake her up. However, the bedding was undisturbed, the bed still made up as neatly as it was in the morning.

Karin's expression fell. It lasted only a moment before her eyes brightened up again. So what that her mom was a bit late? She would definitely come back soon and they could eat these deliciously smelling buns together!

Karin ran out of the cottage, her precious cargo held tightly in her arms, and settled herself under the nearby tree. From this spot, she could clearly see the big stretch of the road, until it curved and disappeared in between the trees.

Karin started to wait.

She waited and waited. Didn't budge when her stomach growled, demanding food. Continued to wait as the sun dipped lower to the horizon. Stayed in the same place even when the light of day drained away and the sky began to grow dark.

And finally, her patience and stubbornness were rewarded with a sight of her mother's hunched figure slowly walking from around the curve.

Karin jumped to her feet and her childish face lit up in happiness. "Mom!" she exclaimed, rushing to meet the older woman half-way.

Kana Uzumaki smiled warmly at her daughter, stroking her head as soon as the latter came close enough. "There was an accident and a lot of people were hurt. I had to stay longer," she said, her voice soft and heavy with exhaustion. "I'm sorry, Karin."

The girl shook her head, unbidden tears gathering in her light red eyes. "It's fine..." she murmured as she sniffled and blinked her tears away. Then she showed the box and beamed. "Look what I—" Karin's voice abruptly cut off and concern replaced her happy expression when her mother's face went ashen and she put a hand over her eyes. "Mom?"

"Sorry, sweetie," Kana apologized. "I—I don't feel well…" She swayed for just a moment before crumpling lifelessly to the ground.

Karin's eyes widened. The box slipped out of her hands as she reached to catch her mother, help her, do _something_ —

A strong wind blew from the side, carrying a cloud of dust, and Karin instinctively covered her head. After a moment, she looked up again and froze.

A stranger in orange cradled her mother. Holding her from falling to the ground with his arm around her shoulders, he carefully moved her head to a more comfortable position and pressed two fingers to her neck. His brow furrowed, but he didn't retract his hand right away. Fingertips brushed across numerous bite marks and his feather-like touch lingered on one of the fresh ones.

Karin watched as the man's expression visibly darkened and something terrifying resurfaced in his blue eyes. Her heart skipped several agonizing beats and she unconsciously took a step back. But before the panic could fully take control, that frightening feeling disappeared without a trace.

The stranger adjusted Kana's position, pushed his other arm under her knees, and effortlessly lifted her up bridal style. Only then he looked at the tiny seven years old, red-haired girl, staring at him with obvious fear written all over her face.

"Hey there," the man said quietly. A smile appeared on his face, one that was unexpectedly friendly and surprisingly reassuring. "Is that your house?"

"Y-Yes…" Karin stammered out. She didn't know this man, couldn't tell if he was going to hurt them or not. Even if she ran to find help, the little Uzumaki wasn't sure if anyone would agree to it. She gulped and managed to whisper, "M-My mom?"

"Just tired, don't worry. After getting enough rest, she should be fine."

The redhead gave a stiff nod, even when relief flooded her system and something loosened up in her chest.

The man's gaze focused on the paper box next to the girl's feet. "It seems you dropped something."

Karin glanced down. Sudden anguish sprouting in her, she muttered, "Oh no…" and quickly picked the box up. She could only hope that the sweet buns inside were still good to eat.

"What's inside?" the man inquired as he walked past the girl and towards the cottage.

Karin hurried to catch up. "Sweet buns."

"Oh? Are they delicious?"

"I don't know yet," she replied, gawking at the stranger absent-mindedly.

Even in the dim evening light, the man's blond hair seemed to glow from within as if beams of sunshine weaved themselves in between its strands. Compassionate eyes and amiable smile, every line in his features radiated kindness and compassion.

It made Karin feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Careful, watch where you're going," he warned her. "Don't fall down while staring at me."

Karin ducked her head. Hearing a burst of mirthful laughter, her cheeks heated up. It wasn't her fault that she had never seen a person with such a bright shade of yellow hair before!

They were already at the entrance of the Uzumaki's little cottage, so the girl opened the door and let the man carry her mother inside.

The blond scanned the tiny kitchen and moved towards the door on the other side without prompting. "By the way, I'm Rei," he introduced himself, flashing another smile over his shoulder. "What's your name?"

"Karin." The girl closed the door and followed the man into the bedroom, leaving the box of sweet buns on the table as she passed it. "My mom's Kana."

There was no verbal response this time, just a hum of acknowledgment that her words had been heard. Rei laid the woman on the bed and brushed stray red hair out of her face. His eyebrows briefly drew together again at the sight of all the bite marks before he turned away and ushered the kid out of the room to let Kana rest.

Once the two of them were in the kitchen again, Rei lifted his hand, palm up. A moment later, a thread of chakra sparked into a small flame that he tossed into the central fireplace and the flare of fire lit up the room.

Karin observed it in sheer wonder. She startled when the man squatted down in front of her.

Rei's blue eyes examined her neck and then looked straight into those big, innocent eyes. "Can I see your arms?" he asked, his voice gentle and calm.

The girl blinked at such a weird request. Why would he want to see her—

Oh.

The fact that she possessed the same powers as her mother was supposed to be a secret. Could it be that this stranger figured it out? It made Karin nervous. Would he kidnap her and sell her to someone evil?

The silence must have stretched for too long, because the man sighed. "It's alright," he smiled at her. "Just tell me, do you have to go to the hospital as your mother?"

The girl shook her head and mumbled under her breath, "Mom says to stay away from the hospital."

"That's good." Rei paused. His gaze seemed to sharpen. "Do you like living in Kusagakure?"

Unconsciously, Karin fisted her hands until the knuckles became white. She lowered her head, successfully hiding her expression from the stranger. "They took us in," she said, sounding cold and detached. "They took outsiders like us in."

"That's not what I asked."

The redhead bit her lip. "We should be grateful to be allowed to stay here."

"Karin."

At the sound of her name, Karin looked back at Rei's sympathetic expression. Her chin trembled in a vain attempt to hold the tears, but they burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down her face. "They are hurting my mom!" she cried out. "She feels tired all the time, but they never give her enough time to rest!"

Rei watched the little Uzumaki break down into sobs over the injustice the two of them faced in this village. He tightened the lid he forced on his explosive rage. It threatened to crack any second, but this definitely was neither the time nor place to let even the tiniest part of that to leak out.

The blond put a hand on the girl's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "I won't let these people hurt you or your mother anymore." He offered a smile when those watery light red orbs fixed on him. "I promise."

Karin sniffled, lifted her glasses up and rubbed her arm across her face.

"Karin?" A quiet voice and a shuffling of feet drew both of their attention to the bedroom door. Soon, Kana came into view, leaning tiredly against the doorframe. "How did I end u—" Whatever she wanted to ask, died at the back of her throat as she saw an unfamiliar man in their home with his hand on her daughter.

A wide range of emotions flashed across the woman's face. Fear, anger, suspicion; her expression plainly reflected all of it until it stopped on the final one—protective ferocity.

Rei straightened up, his arms going up in a placating manner to show that he wished them no harm.

Despite his action, Karin was swiftly pulled back and pushed behind her mother. "Mom?" she asked, utterly confused.

"Who are you?!" Kana demanded.

"I brought you in when you fainted outside your home," Rei answered in honest. Seeing the mother acting so protective, firmly standing in front of her little girl, eyes fierce and body tense, with no sign of the feeble, exhausted person, his respect and admiration for her grew tenfold. "I'm not an enemy."

Kana allowed a bit of tension to seep away, but her guard was yet to go down completely. As she looked at the blond stranger more attentively, she couldn't help a small frown from forming in her brow. Her sensory abilities couldn't quite penetrate this person's invisible deceptive cloak around him, but she instinctively knew that he was a ninja. An immensely strong ninja.

She glanced at her daughter, a mute inquiry for the explanation.

"It's true," Karin said. "Rei-san is not a bad person."

The older Uzumaki's body relaxed, her expression softened, features losing all the previous intensity. The exhaustion also came back with double the force.

"I'm sorry," Kana uttered. Some suspicion still lingered, but she knew that if the stranger wanted to harm them, he could easily do it. "I acted rash and misunderstood your intentions."

"It's okay," Rei waved her worries off, clearly unconcerned. "You were protecting your kid, I understand."

Kana offered a polite smile. "Thank you. And also thank you for your help." She finally felt at ease and at the same time embarrassed about her lack of hospitality. "Rei-san, right?" she asked, quickly crossing the kitchen to put water on the fire. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure." The blond sat down on a chair by the table.

While her mother busied herself with boiling water and preparing tea for the guest, Karin carried two plates to the table. With her heart thumping anxiously in her chest, she opened the box and peeked inside. Sweet buns seemed fine. A bit squashed, but mostly fine.

"Are you just passing Kusa, Rei-san?" Kana initiated a small talk.

Rei raised an eyebrow at Karin when the girl put two sweet buns out of a total four into his plate. "That's right," he replied, a bit distracted. He picked one bun and placed it into the mother and daughter's plate.

Karin beamed at him. Rei grinned back.

"Where are you from?"

"Uzushiogakure."

The teapot fell down and crashed into a thousand pieces, steaming hot tea spilling all over the floor. As if not realizing that she dropped it, Kana stared at Rei, shocked and disbelieving.

The blond sighed. "My mother was an Uzumaki, so I consider myself part of the clan," he began. "When I arrived here from a faraway land, I had nowhere to go. I visited Uzushio ruins and thought, why not to rebuild it. I have the means to do so and enough strength to create a safe haven for all Uzumaki survivors and their descendants."

As he spoke, Kana stumbled to the chair and sat down, unable to look away from the man who identified himself as one of their own.

"Uzumakis really had hidden deep. Except me and my nephew, I don't really know anyone else. So, once I've heard rumors about the possibility of my people being here, I came to investigate," Rei explained. He paused and added, "And I found you." His lips formed a smooth curve, comforting and full of promises. "I'd like to invite you and your daughter to move into Uzushio."

Kana covered her mouth, eyes glazed with a glossy layer of tears. The swirl of emotions simply overwhelmed her.

Even after so many years, there were still people, greedy and disgusting people, who coveted the unique powers of the Uzumaki bloodline. Kana wasn't a fighter, not really. That was why she put up with Kusa's horrible treatment, hoping against all hope that her service and sacrifice for years would earn her daughter a safe place to grow and live.

This man could be lying, a part of her mind reasoned. Maybe he was trying to deceive her, to lure her into a trap.

And yet, Kana believed him. Maybe, she simply wanted to believe him.

She didn't remember much from Uzushio. The majority of her childhood memories were comprised of the moment her mother placed a kiss on her forehead before pushing her into the boat with other Uzumaki kids; the moment she witnessed the adults fighting to their last breath to allow the boat to leave under the safety of the darkness.

She watched her home burn that night.

Rei stayed silent, letting the woman work through all of that. "You don't have to decide righ—"

"Yes," Kana cut him off, sounding surprisingly confident in her decision. "I accept your invitation."

Rei broke into a happy grin. "Wonderful!" he cheered. "Once you say your goodbyes, we can leave right away."

Kana's lips thinned and her face hardened. "No need. There is no one I wish to say goodbye," she said resolutely. Then, hesitated. "Just… I don't know how the village leader will react to my departure."

"I'll take care of it." Rei's smile shifted from being wide and peppy to a vicious, savage grin. "Uzushio is still not completely habitable, but I know a nice place where you can stay for the time being. I'm not leaving you two in this village."

Kana's heart shuddered. There was the intent, a brief brush of sharp, brutal bloodlust, so light that if not for her innate sensory abilities, she would have easily missed it.

Somehow, it didn't frighten her for it wasn't aimed at her or her child.

"Mom?" Karin tugged the older Uzumaki's sleeve to get her attention. "Are we leaving this place?"

"Yeah, honey," Kana replied, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. "We're going home."

The girl tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Home?"

"I'll come to pick you up in the morning, so rest for tonight," Rei suggested, standing up. He gave Karin a gentle hair ruffle. "Take care of your mom, kit."

The little redhead nodded, resolve burning in her eyes.

With the last pat on her head, Rei turned to leave. The moment his hand landed on the door handle, Kana called him again.

"Rei-san?"

He glanced at her. "Yes?"

"The villagers… they, they are not at fault," Kana said. She wasn't quite sure why she had a sudden urge to tell him this, but the man's reaction when he mentioned the village unsettled her. "Their treatment might not have been the best, but they still provided protection for us till now."

Rei's piercing gaze bored into her, searching and assessing, before he shifted it away. "Got it." With that, he opened the door and left.

The room was silent after his departure, filled only with the sound of a crackling fire.

"He'll come back for us, right?"

Kana looked at her daughter's hopeful, yet slightly fearful eyes. "I truly believe he will," she assured without a shadow of a doubt. She couldn't even remember when was the last time she felt this certain of their future as if her chest would burst from happiness. "How about we eat your treat and then go pack our things?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

Two men exited the building that was Kusagakure hospital's special wing for ninjas. The shorter one halted his steps, pinched the bridge of his nose, and heaved a heavy sigh.

"What if we used the girl, Jushi-sama?" the second man, the burly guy with black hair and Kusa forehead protector, asked.

"Too young." His companion shook his head. "And did you forget that the mother threatened to kill herself if we exploit her daughter? Besides, we could use the girl later, Zosui, once she matures. We just need to find a good match."

Zosui stayed silent, face cold and indifferent, without any emotion present.

"Are you the village leader?"

An unfamiliar voice startled both men. Their heads whipped to look at the speaker.

A young blond man in a bright orange haori stood in the middle of the street with his hands in the pockets. Blank expression, nonchalant demeanor, and no visible weapons—nothing about him indicated any sort of danger.

Jushi frowned. He had never seen this person and there was no affiliation mark on him. A civilian? "Who are you?"

"Rei Uzumaki," the outsider introduced without batting an eyelash. "So, are you or are you not the Kusagakure's leader?"

"Uzumaki?" Jushi's eyes flashed before they flittered at Zosui. The ninja gave a barely perceptible nod. "Yes, I'm the leader." A sleazy smile appeared on his face. "How can I help you?"

"Oh?" Rei's bared his teeth into a grin that was neither polite nor particularly friendly. His carefree posture, however, didn't change at all. "Lucky me." He shot Zosui a quick look, blue eyes shimmering with mocking laughter. "I came to tell you that Kana and Karin Uzumaki are leaving your… _care_. Don't even think about going after them."

Jushi's smile vanished, replaced by a dark, stormy expression. "You have no right!"

"I have no right?" Rei scoffed. "As a leader of the newly established Uzushiogakure, I have all the rights to protect my clansmen."

It was the busiest time in the evening, so more and more passersby seemed to take notice of this standoff and gather around. The last declaration of the blond Uzumaki prompted a wave of gossip among the crowd.

Jushi clicked his tongue. "How about we moved this conversation into a more private place?" he suggested, mustering all the patience to act politely with such an overconfident idiot.

"Why?" Rei asked. He casually strolled closer and stopped right in front of the village leader, infuriating smirk on full display. "Are you hiding something? Or maybe trying to get rid of me in private?"

Jushi clenched his teeth. This man seemed to think that he wouldn't dare attack him in the middle in his own village, but he couldn't be more wrong. "Forget catching him!" he yelled as he moved further from the outsider with a burst of chakra. "Kill him!"

Zosui pulled a bundle of explosive tags as he jumped backward and threw them in the air, forming a sequence of handseals soon after.

The tags shined and suddenly flew towards the enemy, attaching themselves onto his body. Rei, on his part, was just standing still. He never tried to avoid them or pull them off. He did absolutely nothing even when the tags covered him from head to toe.

Zosui flared his chakra and all of them exploded, filling the street with black smoke.

"What a waste," Jushi spat, observing the ashes slowly raining down with contempt. "Tsk, all bark and no bite." After a moment, he saw a movement in the smoke at the corner of his eye. He blinked, squinted, then just shook his head. There was no way that the guy survived. He was just being unnecessarily paranoid.

A sudden blast of wind blew all the smoke away. Rei brushed off stray specks of dust from his clothes and looked back at the gaping Kusa ninjas, unimpressed.

Unbelievable! It was totally unbelievable! "Why—Why it did nothing to you?!" Jushi exclaimed.

"What do you mean it did nothing to me?" Rei chuckled, brushing fingers through his golden locks. "It messed up my hair."

"Impossible!"

"Not really," the blond waved his hand in dismissal. "It's funny, though, the fact that you think you can defeat me using seals of all things." He paused and his gaze sharpened. "I guess it's my turn now." He sped through a series of handseals and in the blink of an eye had drawn up a monstrous amount of chakra. It permeated the air around him and sunk into the dirt beneath his feet.

Rei slammed his hands down onto the ground and set it ablaze with a haunting glow. It burned lines upon lines into the surface of the earth and gradually spread around, climbing the walls of the buildings and covering them from the base to the tip of the roof in an instant. A panic arose in the village as the sealing array kept growing farther and farther. Soon, it encompassed almost the whole Kusagakure.

Jushi broke out into a sweat as Rei looked at him again with a cool gaze. "There's no way that this is a real seal!" he denied, furious beyond belief. "You come here demanding to give you that woman, do you even realize where you are?! Do you want to become the enemy of Kusagakure?! We have allies! Konoha is our ally! You think they're going to just sit and do nothing if you bring harm to their ally?!"

The further he talked, the bolder he felt and the more Rei's face darkened until he put his hand over his eyes.

"You wouldn't dare to become an enemy of the whole ninja village for some whore and her offspr—!"

Rei snapped his fingers.

And the hospital's building behind him exploded.

The flames shot up into the sky, bringing forth a rain of debris and ash. Screams and cries rang into everyone's ears, but there was no movement whatsoever for everyone was just too afraid to move.

Rei was a dark silhouette against the bright fiery background, his presence massive, oppressive, and malicious, though at the same time still somewhat restrained. Fire danced wildly behind him and his form cast a colossal shadow on the ground, the shadow which seemed to gain the life of its own. It twisted and morphed into a multitude of appendages, whirling ominously, impossible to count.

Rei's hand dropped. A pair of glowing red eyes glared at Jushi, the thick killing intent overflowing and choking the air out of his lungs.

Rei's lips pulled into a sneer. "You have no idea how much I want to _kill_ you all, to rip apart everyone who left a mark on Kana Uzumaki's body, to raze this village to the ground and wipe it completely off the map." He sounded utterly, terrifyingly genuine in his desire to slaughter them. "Uzumaki clan is not weak. Its people are not for you to use and abuse. Everyone who does will have to face the consequences."

Rei glared at Zosui. The sealing lines under the latter's feet glowed and started to move, quickly winding around his legs, torso, arms, and head. The ninja didn't even have time to realize what was happening, it occurred so fast. A violent flare of chakra and his body exploded, leaving nothing but a cloud of bloody mist.

"There is nothing that I won't do to protect my people," Rei growled, looking down at Jushi, not even trying to disguise his disgust. "You're just flattering yourself."

The giant seal stirred again, black ink lines gliding up the Kusagakure leader's limbs like nimble snakes until they ignited and turned the man into dust.

Rei watched it passively.

A satisfied smirk slowly found its way onto his lips.

On the next blink, he was already gone.

* * *

 **A/N**

So, how many readers will stop reading this time and complain about how future Naruto is 'dark! OOC! Something something!'?

Meh. I'm sure someone will like it.

To tell you the truth, this whole thing wasn't supposed to go like this, definitely not turn so dark. But then I watched 431 episode to have better imagery about Karin's background and… Well. This chapter is the result. Honestly, Rei wasn't the only one who had to test his self-control. I wanted to wipe that village off the map, too.


	9. Chapter 9

Be ready for a bit of worldbuilding, a bit of craziness, a bit of character development, a bit of fluffy fluffily fluff! While this is a fast update (I have no patience and am using the hype of comments to bulldozer through as much writing as I can while my muse is generous), don't get used to it! Someday I'll go through all the chapters and make them better, but for now I hope you continue to enjoy the story :)

* * *

 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 9

* * *

Rei spotted Karin sitting under the tree the moment he rounded the corner and the Uzumaki's cottage came into view. The girl perked up upon noticing him. He waved his hand and she returned his greeting with a wave of her own, a bright grin blooming on her face.

Rei smiled. Such a great contrast to what he witnessed yesterday. He was lucky that he found the two of them when he did. Who knows for how much longer Kana would have been able to go on like this. And while blowing up the ninja hospital wasn't his intention, he just couldn't help himself. He wanted it gone. That place had to cease to exist.

Rei was powerful enough not to regret this small slip of self-control. Besides, it was already aptly tied into his plans.

"Ready to go, kiddo?" the man asked, giving the little Uzumaki a pat on her head.

"Yeah!" Karin cheered. Without another word, she ran towards the house with an excited, "Mom! Rei-san is here!"

Kana appeared in the doorway. Seeing the blond approaching, her face brightened up with the same happy smile as her daughter's. "Rei-san, good morning," she greeted. After a moment, she rubbed her fingers in a nervous habit. Rei let her work up the courage to voice whatever was on her mind. "How the talk with the Jushi-sama went?" she asked, quietly. There was trepidation in her voice, a hesitance. "We saw the glow of fire in the sky..."

"It went well," the blond stated, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. "I can be _very_ persuasive than needed."

"If you get in trouble because of us—"

"It's alright. I'm alright." Rei's eyes softened. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you. You're family now."

Kana stared at him, tears gathering in her eyes.

The family was sacred for the Uzumaki. Each of them had monsters inside their souls; savage, dangerous things ready to lash out at whatever threatened what was _theirs_. The moment Uzumaki recognized someone as a family was the moment that the monster awoke in order to protect their loved ones at all cost.

"Hey!" Karin shouted, glaring at the man. "Don't make my mom cry!"

Rei's hands instantly went up in surrender. "My bad. Sorry."

A laugh tumbled out from Kana's mouth. She stroked her little girl's head to calm her down. "We're almost done, Rei-san. Give us a few more minutes."

"Take as long as you need."

Rei waited patiently outside while the Uzumaki duo went around the cottage, checking if they didn't forget anything. Soon, they were standing in front of him, eager to begin traveling. It was almost disturbing how little possessions two Uzumakis brought with them.

Karin bubbled with curiosity. "Where are we going?"

"Wave country."

Kana's eyes widened. "It's so far…" She suddenly looked worried. "Won't you be troubled to stay with us for such a long time?"

Rei broke into a cheeky grin. "It won't take that long." He put one hand on Karin's head and another on Kana's shoulder. "Ready?" At the two slow nods, his chakra stirred, swirled, and then, they were where he wanted them to be.

A murmur of the crowd, laughter of children, cries of seagulls, and a distant sough of the ocean filled their ears, sun warmed their skin, and a salty wind brushed their hair away.

A couple of feet away, a stout man with a bushy beard toppled backward over the box he had been sitting on, a surprised yelp leaving his mouth. His back hit the ground, throwing a cloud of dust into the air, while his pipe made an arc and landed right in the middle of his forehead with a distinct thwack.

Mother and daughter stared at the new place with eyes wide open. They were in some small village, surrounded by lush trees at one side and a strip of glittering blue at another.

"Damn you, Uzumaki!" the fallen man roared, flailing his arms and legs as he tried to stand up. Once he managed it, he almost went down again as he tripped over the box. Finally finding his footing, he waved his fist at Rei's direction. "Why do you always show up in front of my blacksmith like some vengeful ghost?!"

Rei flashed him a wide, innocent smile. "I'm sorry, Old Sho, but how can I start my day without seeing your grumpy face?" he said smoothly.

"You—!" The blacksmith glowered, face red and blotchy from anger.

Rei's smile didn't waver.

Old Sho's furious expression started to falter the longer he stared at that disarming grin. "Cheeky brat…" A long-suffering sigh followed his quiet mutter. He leaned down and picked his pipe, arranged the box, and eased himself back on it. "You here for the order?"

"Ah, no," the blond replied, but his cerulean eyes lit up with excitement. "Is it done?"

"Just the first one, but you—or one of you—or part of you?" He grew more frustrated as he spoke and finally just threw his arms up. "Whatever you!"

Rei's amused chuckle received another glare.

"Anyway," Old Sho continued, biting on his pipe. "You said you wanted this one done as fast as possible. I worked overnight for you, kid." He pointed at the blond with his pipe, face stern. "You owe me. Those patterns were no joke to engrave."

"Sure, Old Sho," Rei agreed readily. "How about I bring you some high-quality tobacco from overseas?"

"Hmpf! You better!" the blacksmith harrumph, but couldn't quite hide fondness that curled around his eyes. He turned towards his workshop behind him and hollered, "Nobuo, you lazy brat! Bring the Uzumaki's order!"

"I'll be the one taking it!"

Everyone looked at another Rei sauntering over, a wrapped-up package in his hands.

"Boss will be happy that the whole set was done at the same time!" The newcomer turned to two speechless redheads gaping at him and grinned. "You must be my fellow clan members from Kusa. Nice to meet you!"

"...Brothers?" Kana guessed, but she sounded really unsure.

Old Sho snorted. "They're one and the same," he grumbled around his pipe. "Still weirds me out no matter how many times I see it."

"It's a simple jutsu," Rei that brought them here explained, sounding exasperated and helpless.

"Oh. I see." Kana didn't, but was polite and smart enough not to pry into the ninja's secrets.

And if two Reis were not enough, the third one soon joined the first two. "Hey, how's it going?" he chirped. Noticing Kana and Karin, he blinked, clearly surprised, but the next moment his mouth stretched into the blinding grin. "Nice to meet you, Uzumaki-san, Uzumaki-chan!"

"Stop scaring them, idiot."

"You realize that calling him an idiot you're basically calling yourself an idiot?"

"We're obviously from different batches."

"Hey! That's discrimination!"

"Does that really make a difference?"

"Of course, you idiot."

"Oi!"

Old Sho rolled his eyes at the three-sided bickering. "See what I mean?" he said to the red-haired woman.

Kana had to fight really hard not to laugh at the ridiculous scene. Karin didn't have such restraints and melted into delighted giggles.

"Here you are, Rei-san!" another man called, jogging closer. He didn't even bat an eye at the three of them like it was an everyday occurrence. "The men are ready to go," he reported before glancing at each of the blonds. "Uh… which one—?"

"That'll be me, Kaiza." One Rei stepped forward, waved his goodbye, and left together with the man.

A teenage boy ran out of the blacksmith, briefly paused at the sight of two identical blonds. After a moment, he shrugged in a ninjas-are-weird way and said, "You order, Uzumaki-san." He extended a small oblong box to them.

"Great!" Rei who already held a package in his arms took the box and saluted the other people around him. "See ya!" A blink and he was nowhere to be seen.

Old Sho puffed a cloud of smoke and shook his head.

The last Rei looked at the mother and daughter duo. "I hope you're okay with staying at the inn in this village for a while. People here are really friendly, it's a great community."

"No problem at all."

"I hired these people to help with rebuilding Uzushio and we work together daily. Besides, one of me is always on standby somewhere around for protection. In case you'd need something, just find me or simply flare your chakra and I'll be there in an instant."

Kana smiled kindly at him. "Thank you."

"Can we check the coast?" Karin asked, peering up at her mother curiously. "I've never seen so much water before."

"Of course, sweetie, just let us put our things away."

"Well, then." Rei motioned at the direction of the inn. "Shall we?"

* * *

Naruto was bored.

He was so bored that he even cleaned his room. Rei always cleaned his apartment when he visited, so he thought he would do the same. It wasn't like he wanted to be praised or something.

Naruto stared at the smudge on the ceiling as he lay sprawled on top of his bed. He had no wish to go out after the playground incident and he was leaving Konoha soon, so there was no point going to the Academy. Teachers didn't like him much anyway.

What to do, what to do…

The boy suddenly shot up from his position and clambered out of bed in a rush. He slammed open his wardrobe and started to rummage through several boxes piled up on its bottom. He finally found what he was looking for and pulled a sheet of paper out with a delighted, "Aha!" After that, he also picked a bundle of old, half-used colored pencils and brought everything to the kitchen to sit at the table.

Naruto put the sheet down and attentively smoothed out wrinkled parts as much as he could. There were words 'My precious people' printed out at the very top, but otherwise, it was just a blank white piece of paper.

During one lesson in pre-Academy, the sensei distributed these sheets for every student as homework. They had to draw people that were precious to them, people that they wanted to protect once they would become ninjas.

Naruto had no precious people, not a single one. He had no one to draw. Maybe Jiji, but the little blond quickly dismissed that thought. Not wanting to be laughed at by submitting an empty sheet, he lied that he spilled ramen on it and got it destroyed. He was still laughed at by his classmates, but at least not for the reason that left his heart in shambles.

Naruto grabbed the orange pencil—the most used one of the whole set—and began drawing. He stuck his tongue out as he carefully lined the shape and colored it, grabbing another pencil for legs, then another to draw the face and finally yellow one to draw the hair.

It took him a while, but he finally finished his drawing by scrawling a name under the figure. He leaned back and admired his work. This was perfect!

"Watcha doing, kit?"

Naruto almost fell from his chair. A hair ruffle followed right after the sudden question and his heart sped up. He scrambled to grab the paper and hide it—

His fingers closed in on empty air as the sheet was already picked up by someone else.

Naruto felt a moment of nervousness when his gaze locked on his uncle. As he watched him staring at his drawing, expression blank, it morphed into dread.

What if Rei didn't like that he had thought of him as his most precious person?

It was an irrational fear, but he couldn't quite help it. Unbidden tears shone in his eyes.

A small smile curled on Rei's lips and he glanced down at the small blond, words of gratitude on the tip of his tongue, but it never hit the air. "W-Why are you crying?" he actually stammered out of surprise, worry and concern rising inside him like a high tide, followed by a storm of protective fury. "Hey, hey," he crouched down and cupped the kid's face with one hand, "what's wrong?"

"Y-You didn't, didn't like it, 'ttebayo," Naruto choked out. "'M sorry…"

"Didn't like—" The realization landed like a slap on his face. Rei brushed the tears with his thumb. "No, Naruto, that's not it. It's not that I didn't like your drawing. It's been years since someone told me that I'm their precious person, you just caught me by surprise." He leaned closer and placed a kiss on the little Jinchuuriki's forehead. "Thank you." He rested his forehead against Naruto's, looked into those sparkling pools of blue, and smiled gently. "You're my most precious person, too."

The boy took a deep breath, trying to stifle his sobbing. "…R-Really?"

"Of course."

Naruto started to cry even harder.

Rei felt a bit lost, a bit guilty, and a bit disappointed in himself. While he wouldn't call himself an expert in child psychology, he made an effort to grasp it once he decided to raise the little one. He read all the books he could find on the subject and still failed to recognize the insecurity this little guy continued to carry around. The weight of unworthiness instilled by years of neglect and hate pressing down on the kid's belief that someone genuinely wanted to take care of him.

Rei pulled the kid into a hug and allowed him to let it all out.

Speaking about those books, he suddenly remembered where they would be extremely useful.

A new shadow clone appeared and instantly vanished.

A drawing on the table attracted Rei's attention again. Warmth flooded his chest and it spilled out as a grin straight from his heart.

Right at this moment, Rei completely separated his identity from the little blond. Naruto wasn't his counterpart anymore. The boy was his own person with emotions and experiences that were unique and belonged only to him.

But in the end, they both had to learn how to be a family. It meant to love and be loved back. In his whole life, Rei never got the last part right. Naruto was not getting it either. They were ready to give everything, but never expected to get something in return. Maybe, they never thought they were worthy to get something in return.

Fortunately, now they could learn it together.

* * *

There was a knock.

Rei paused in the middle of sorting out the groceries, tilting his head to the side and wondering who it could be. The chakra signature was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite put a finger on the identity.

The blond cleaned his hands into the towel and padded out of the kitchen. He poked his head into the bedroom to check on Naruto. It had been a few hours since the boy cried himself to sleep.

There was a knock again.

Satisfied with the sight of the kid's chest rising and falling steadily, his chakra calm and undisturbed by nightmares, Rei crossed the small hallway and opened the door.

A young man in chuunin's attire startled upon coming face to face with him. He looked around, scratching the scar across the bridge of his nose, clearly flustered.

Rei smirked. Iruka, huh. Not someone he expected. Iruka at this time still viewed Naruto as a monster who killed his parents. Or something equally horrible.

Pushing his misgivings to the side, he leaned against the doorframe and inquired, "Yes?"

"Um…" Iruka glanced at the paper in his hands. "This is supposed to be Naruto Uzumaki's apartment?"

Rei raised an eyebrow. "It is."

The young chuunin stared at him long and hard. He squinted as if it would help him to see through the unfamiliar man. "It can't be…" he muttered with a tinge of uncertainty. "Naruto?"

Rei's eyes widened, but in the next moment he burst out laughing, his whole body shaking with the force of it.

Iruka— _his_ Iruka—always was the only one who could find him when no one else did and see through him when no one else could. Rei couldn't believe that even this Iruka who was yet to acknowledge Naruto was able to just tell his real identity the moment he laid his eyes on him.

Rei finally managed to get his explosive laughter under control. He breathed deeply, cheeks hurting from how wide he was grinning. This was so unbelievable. As he brushed some stray tears, he looked back at the chuunin and asked, "Do I look like a seven years old kid?"

A blush crept on Iruka's face. His mouth opened to speak—

"Rei?" A voice from inside the apartment called, heavy with sleep. After a moment, Naruto came to stand next to his uncle, still rubbing his eyes. He blinked at the man standing right in front of his apartment. "Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka's expression transformed. Any signs of friendliness and previous embarrassment vanished, replaced by a dark, taut face. Not quite hateful or full of contempt, but it made Rei's hackles rise protectively nonetheless.

Iruka or not, this was not acceptable.

"Naruto," the chuunin started slowly, glowering sternly at the small blond. "Why are you not at the Academy? You've already missed lessons yesterday and the day before. I see that you intend to miss it today too. Care to explain?"

Naruto scowled. He instinctively reached for his uncle and fisted a hand into the material of his orange haori. And then, he glared up at his teacher.

Iruka was taken aback. It wasn't the first time this boy glared at him, but something seemed different this time.

"You don't care about me. You don't want me," Naruto spoke in a tone that spoke of hurt and injustice. So, so much hurt. "Why should I go there? I'm leaving Konoha soon anyway, what's the point?"

The chuunin stiffened. "Leaving Konoha?"

"You all can be happy once I'm gone."

Such an unchildlike thing to say. It stung, those words. Webs of guilt and regret trickled into Iruka's mind, like a stream against a large boulder that signified his stubbornness to see the facts straight.

Rei's hand landed on the boy's head, getting his attention. Ignoring a small flinch at the contact, he smiled affectionately when his blue eyes met a pair of matching blue. "How about you go and sort out the groceries I left in the kitchen?"

"Are you making dinner today?"

"Yep."

Naruto's face lit up like a bonfire. He fist-pumped and with a cheerful, "Yay!" he raced into the apartment, almost crashing into the wall in his haste.

Rei looked back at shocked Iruka, his fond expression slipping away. "Is that all?"

The chuunin flinched at that icy tone and a clear sign that he overstayed his welcome. But he had never seen this man before and wondered if the Hokage knew about someone staying with the Kyuubi's container. "Who are you?"

The blond's gaze pinned Iruka in place for one long, tense moment. The latter's heart skipped a beat when the man finally shifted.

Rei wordlessly pulled a folded in half paper sheet from one of his many storage seals on his person and extended it for the chuunin.

Despite being unnerved by that frigid stare, Iruka took the paper from his hand and unfolded it. Whatever he expected, a crude drawing, obviously done by a child, of an orange-clad person with yellow hair was not it. The moment he saw words printed at the top, he realized what sort of paper this was.

The drawing undeniably depicted the person standing in the doorway. Naruto's precious person. The only one he apparently had.

"…Ghost*?" Iruka read the word scrawled untidily at the bottom.

"Rei, actually. Rei Uzumaki and also Naruto's uncle from his father's side." Rei's lips twisted into a pleased smirk as the chuunin blanched. He snatched the drawing from the latter's hands and let the storage seal suck it back in. "I'm curious though." He paused, locking his eyes with the other man's. "You look at the innocent child, your own student no less, with that kind of cruel eyes… Do you really think you're fit to be a teacher?"

Iruka felt the air freeze in his lungs. He looked at the blond Uzumaki in silent horror. His throat felt dry and heart heavy, the question ringing in his ears like an endless echo. The stream turned into a waterfall, pounding relentlessly at the boulder.

"Goodbye, Umino."

The door closed to his face.

* * *

Hiruzen stood in front of the window in his office, hands behind his back and face scrunched into a deep frown. Not long ago some sort of commotion happened in one part of Konoha. A single, brief burst of unfamiliar chakra alerted all the nearby ninjas. No warning signals were sent, however, indicating that no real danger threatened the village.

Now, the Sandaime waited for his ANBU operative return to report his findings.

The Hokage robe fluttered in the breeze when the shadow flew through the open window. A masked nin kneeled before his leader.

"Dog. Report."

"An incident occurred inside the Hyuuga clan compound. It got completely buried under books and scrolls."

Sarutobi turned around to look at his subordinate, his aged features awash with disbelief. "Books?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Dog confirmed. "Hiashi Hyuuga was caught in the center of it. He said that it happened extremely fast and he had no time to react. Their Byakugan could not see who was behind the incident."

The Sandaime's mouth twitched. Their ghost visitor sure had been busy today. "What kind of books?" he asked curiously.

There was a distinct lilt of mirth in Dog's tone as he replied, "Childcare and family bonding."

While Hiruzen managed not to laugh outright, he couldn't suppress an amused smile anymore. "It seems Rei Uzumaki is trying to tell Hiashi something," he muttered. "Any serious injuries?"

"Besides Hyuuga's bruised pride, none."

This time the Sandaime did let out a short, quiet chuckle. He looked through the window again and stayed silent, not dismissing Dog just yet.

"Have you seen the recent Bingo Book from Iwa, Kakashi?"

The ninja stood up and pushed the mask away from his face, shedding his ANBU persona together with it. It was obvious that the Hokage wanted to talk with Kakashi and not Dog. "Iwa updated their Bingo Book?" he asked.

"Yes," Hiruzen answered, furrowing his brow. "Rei Uzumaki got his own page in it. They call him the Golden Ghost."

Kakashi's mask creased with a smirk. "Not surprising."

"No, it is not," the Hokage agreed. "His page is empty, describing only his name and appearance. Jiraiya went to investigate if he really did something or if it was more due to his uncanny similarity to Minato. If it's the latter, Konoha might get involved." A sigh left him and he rubbed his forehead, trying to smooth out the frown that just wouldn't go away. "Konoha might get involved either way…" He turned to fix the jounin with a complicated gaze. "Be careful while dealing with that man. It seems more and more unlikely that he wishes Konoha active harm, but it's better to be overcautious than regret later."

"I understand, Hokage-sama."

"Alright. You can go."

Kakashi shunshined away, leaving the Sandaime to his quiet musings while observing the bustling village behind the window.

* * *

The dinner eaten, the dishes washed, and the kitchen cleaned, it was time, Rei decided. He sighed as he stared at Naruto happily sipping hot cocoa.

"Kit."

Naruto looked up, growing a bit uneasy. His uncle's name of endearment sounded unusually serious this time.

Rei sat down on a chair next to the boy and frowned at his own clasped hands, thinking how to breach the topic. "I have something to tell you."

"What about?" The little blond's voice was small, apprehensive.

"About your parents and the reason why the villagers treat you so unfairly."

* * *

* – Rei, 霊, "spirit, ghost" (just a friendly reminder)

 **A/N**

So, what do you think little Naruto's reaction will be?


	10. Chapter 10

**Please take note** that English is not my native language, so it's impossible for me to know which words 7-years-old kids use and which ones are too hard for them. The same goes for sentence structure. I try to use simpler words (in my opinion) and make sentences less complicated, but I can't guarantee that it won't sound too stilted and/or mature.

* * *

 **Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 10

* * *

Rei sat down on a chair next to the boy and frowned at his own clasped hands, thinking how to breach the topic. "I have something to tell you."

"What about?" The little blond's voice was small, apprehensive.

"About your parents and the reason why the villagers treat you so unfairly."

Naruto's tiny frame visibly hunched over, tension clinging to his rigid shoulders, and his eyes dropped, suddenly finding the surface of the table so much more interesting than his uncle's face.

"It's not because you did something. You know that, right?" Rei questioned as he pried the boy's fingers from around the mug before pushing it out of his reach. When there was no immediate reply, he urged, "Naruto."

The small blond nodded, albeit reluctantly.

Rei threaded his fingers through his hair as he leaned back with a sigh. This was turning out to be harder than he had expected. He didn't like seeing his kid retreating so deep inside of himself, still feeling so insecure about his place in this world.

The man also didn't know how exactly to tell him everything in a way that would be easy to understand and wouldn't leave space for misinterpretations. No matter how complicated the truth was, it was better than lies or disinformation.

Rei scrubbed the hand over his face, muttering, "Where to start…" under his breath.

Naruto peeked at him. "The beginning?" he suggested in an uncertain whisper. When all he received was a blank look, he fidgeted in his seat. "The beginning is important, 'ttebayo! If someone doesn't know where it started, they won't know what happened. This one time, I got into a fight with the older boys—such jerks!—and sensei caught us and I got punished before I could tell him anything," he babbled, huffing unhappily at the end. Realizing that he just admitted getting into a fight, his anxiety peaked. "But, but, but those jerks were hurting a puppy, 'ttebayo! And I wanted to save it! I told them to go away, to leave it alone, but they wanted to hurt it even more, so I punched one… Sensei never let me tell him what happened, if he knew where it started, maybe I wouldn't have been punish—"

A hand on his head caused Naruto to go still. However, Rei was smiling at him, the same warm and kind smile, and he relaxed, unconsciously leaning into the touch.

"Good job on standing up for those who can't protect themselves, Naruto."

The boy ducked his head, cheeks flushed and a shy curve on his lips.

"And you're absolutely right about starting from the very beginning," the older Uzumaki said as he pushed himself up. "You're smarter than me," he teased affectionately, gathering Naruto in his arms. "But it's a long story, so we better make ourselves more comfortable."

Rei carried the boy into the bedroom and deposited him on top of the bed, sitting down cross-legged in front of him. Their eyes were now at the same height.

Much better.

Naruto wiggled, finding the most comfortable position. Some of his uneasiness settled down the moment his uncle believed him, so now he gave his undivided attention to the adult.

"A very long time ago, a time before ninja villages and ninjas themselves," Rei began, "there was a being. A god. An incarnate of the destruction. With the power never seen before and rivaled by no one, it ravaged the land and threatened to destroy every living creature under the sky."

"But someone stopped it, right?" Naruto asked, sounding a bit breathless.

Rei smiled. "That's right. Two brothers stepped up to fight against the god to save the world from destruction. Their fight was long and exhausting. Eventually, the brothers won against the beast, but it turned out to be too strong. They couldn't kill it in the end."

"What did they do?"

"They decided to imprison the god so that it couldn't harm anyone. Not anything or anyone could hold such a being from escaping, however. The older brother took upon himself to become a vessel and sealed the god inside himself." Rei paused. "Do you know how the storage seals work?"

Naruto scrunched his brow. "You put stuff into the seal, like… like into a box?"

"Something like that. Sealing a living being into another living being is a much more complex process, but similar in concept. It doesn't make them one entity, they are still two separate beings. In the same way as the thing you put into the box doesn't suddenly become the box." This was an extremely important point, so Rei waited until the boy worked through that piece of information. "Do you understand, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked, startled by the deadly seriousness in his uncle's tone. A bit intimidated by it, he opted to nod rather than answer aloud. The stuff in the box was not the box, he could understand that.

The smile returned on the older blond's face. "Good thing you're such a smart kid," he praised and chuckled at the boy's bashful expression. "So, continuing with the story… The older brother sealed the evil god inside himself, but he was still a mortal man after all. Knowing that it would escape once he died, he took the beast's chakra, split it into nine parts and molded each part into a living creature."

Naruto gasped. "He created living things out of it, 'ttebayo?!"

"Yes. He created the Bijuu. They were creatures made out of pure chakra in different forms, but the man loved them as his own children and they called him their father. Each of them had a unique personality with thoughts and emotions that belonged only to them."

Rei's gaze wandered to the window on its own as he continued to speak and stayed there, tracing the outlines of the clouds and seeing the shapes that weren't really there.

"One-Tail Shukaku, a rambunctious brat. Two-Tails Matatabi, always polite and elegant. Three-Tails Isobu, such a timid and good child. Four-Tails Son Gokuu, a proud and headstrong warrior. Five-Tails Kokuo, a quiet and reserved one. Six-Tails Saiken, kind but annoyingly energetic at times. Seven-Tails Chomei, an endlessly cheerful lucky seven. Eight-Tails Gyuuki, an overly serious but easy to tease individual."

The world outside didn't share Rei's sudden melancholic mood. Bright and sunny day, a warm breeze occasionally flittering through the crack of the open window, carrying the songs of birds tightly weaved in the ambiance of the village.

"And finally, Nine-Tails, the big brother of the family, even if he'd rather pluck all his fur out than ever admit it," the blond's voice fell, lips pulled into a wistful arc, blue eyes speaking volumes of longing that welled inside his heart.

Two small, hesitant palms on either side of his face snapped him from the daze. He blinked at Naruto in uncomprehending bewilderment.

"You look sad," the boy said, expression tight with seriousness. "Don't be sad."

A few seconds passed in silence as Rei gathered and centered himself so he wouldn't drown in a sudden surge of memories. "Sorry," he uttered quietly. "I suddenly remembered my friend."

Naruto's frown deepened, but he did lower his arms and sat back down. "Thinking about your friends shouldn't make you sad, 'ttebayo. Remember all the fun you had with them. Isn't that what having friends means?"

Rei hummed in consent. "Remember all the fun… Yes, I probably should do that." Then, he poked the kid's nose. "You truly are smarter than me, huh." Naruto's giggle loosened something dark and unpleasant inside his chest just a tiny bit. "Anyway… Where was I? Hmm. Right. So, after their father's d—"

"Waaaaait!"

The older blond actually startled. "What? What is it?"

"You forgot to tell his name, 'ttebayo!" the boy huffed like his uncle was slow on the uptake.

"Er…" Rei scratched his cheek. "Whose name?"

"The big brother's!"

Only then he realized that, yeah, he omitted the Kyuubi's name previously by sheer habit. His friend always treasured his name as his greatest possession and he respected that. He would have preferred Kurama eventually revealing his name himself, but… this story wasn't intended just for Naruto's ears. The blond knew his partner's counterpart was listening, sensed his chakra stirring and growing more and more restless with every correct Bijuu name that he spoke.

"Kurama," Rei breathed out with a tinge of reverence. "His name is Kurama."

A spike of fury and resentment in the Kyuubi's toxic chakra hidden deep under his Jinchuuriki's naturally fresh and light one almost blindsided him. Knowing his name truly made Kurama mad. Rei suppressed a smirk. He would let the Kyuubi rage for now in hope that he would wind down after some time and be more susceptible to a civilized conversation.

Naruto stared, eyes wide with anticipation of hearing the continuation of the story. If the boy felt anything from his tenant's rage-induced breakdown, he didn't show it. The Yondaime's seal held strong.

"So, after their father's death, the nine siblings scattered around the world and for a while lived in peace. Their strength rose as they grew up and soon people took notice of these wandering colossal beasts that could flatten mountains and uproot forests with a single swipe of their tail."

"So strong!"

Rei's smile at the little blond's cheer was rather bitter. "But they were not humans. They were giants with unrivaled strength, something that people couldn't fathom. And because of that, humans started to fear them. They feared their sheer size, feared the power they could wield, feared that they would come to destroy their home. More and more conflicts arose between two different sides, but even with these occasional clashes the animosity between them grew non-stop."

As he listened, Naruto twiddled with the corner of the comforter, nervously clutching and twisting it.

"One day, a fight broke between two very strong ninjas. In order to get an upper hand in their fight, one of them used a powerful Genjutsu to subdue Kurama and forced him to do his bidding. Unable to win against such foe, the other man's wife used her body to seal the Kyuubi inside herself, to imprison him for the sin that was out of his control."

"B-But…" Naruto stammered out, bright cerulean eyes became glazed with a glassy layer of tears. "It wasn't his fault, 'ttebayo! They could—they could have let him go!"

Rei put a hand on the boy's knee in silent comfort. "After the fight, the winner—the man whose wife now had the Kyuubi sealed inside her—hunted down the rest of the siblings and imprisoned them as well."

"That's horrible!" the young blond couldn't help but cry out in horror. "W-Why would he do that?"

"Because, Naruto, as I said, humans fear what they don't understand. They never understood the Bijuu and the Bijuu never tried to make them understand. They were prideful and solitary beings. Maybe… if they had sought out to communicate with humans, the result would have been different." Rei shook his head with a sigh. "Or maybe it would have ended up the same but with the betrayal added on top of it."

Naruto sniffled, feeling justifiably upset on behalf of the Bijuu.

The older Uzumaki let him calm down a bit before pushing forward. This was the most important part. So far, the little kit reacted just as he had expected—with overwhelming sympathy and kindness.

"The Bijuu were given to the different ninja villages and eventually each sealed inside a live vessel. A person known as the Jinchuuriki." Rei looked straight into Naruto's eyes. "The Bijuu were very angry and used every opportunity to escape, to destroy and kill those who hurt them. The Jinchuuriki held such terrifying beasts locked away and it made people fear them instead. No matter their age, their lineage, or which village they lived in, the Jinchuurikis were feared. Fear bred hate and these people ended up being shunned by society, glared as they walked through the streets, sometimes kicked out of the shops, refusing to serve them. Parents would tell their kids to stay away from the young Jinchuuriki, despite him being just an innocent child with the forced upon sin that was not his to carry."

Rei saw the moment Naruto drew the connection. He froze, face white and eyes blown wide, tears still clinging to his eyelashes. As he blinked, they dripped from them and slid down his cheeks. His lower lip quivered as words slowly made their way out of his mouth. "I-I have one…" he began, yet what followed was engulfed in the tremors.

Instead of offering a verbal reply, Rei pulled the boy off the bed and into his arms, tucking his head under his chin and rubbing soothing circles on his back. He could feel Naruto's fingers curling into his clothes, holding onto him with all his might.

After a few long minutes, Naruto mumbled, "Which one?" into his uncle's chest.

"The Kyuubi, Naruto," Rei replied, voice gentle and bursting with fondness as always. "You have the Kyuubi sealed inside you."

"The big brother Kurama?"

Despite the heaviness of the situation, the older blond's lips twitched up. "The big brother Kurama," he echoed in agreement.

"Can I let him go?"

"I'm afraid not. Not right now anyway."

Naruto leaned back to look at the man properly, but was in no hurry to leave his lap. "Why not?"

"You will die if you do, Naruto."

The boy fiddled with the zipper of Rei's jacket. Then he spoke again, his voice was barely audible, "Does he hate me too?"

"People had hurt him so much that right now Kurama hates everyone," Rei said before a fond, understanding smile warmed the lines of his face. "But I believe that you two can become friends in the future. When the time comes, I'll be there to help you in meeting him."

Naruto lit up like a sunrise at that statement, the look of wonder taking over the drained sadness.

So endearing to see.

And then all happiness was gone again. Naruto lowered his eyes and his grip on Rei's jacket tighten as if scared of him disappearing at any second, leaving him all alone yet again.

Rei cocked his head to the side, confused about the boy's sudden mood change.

"Does that mean that others will always hate me?"

Ah. So that was the problem. "No, kit," Rei stated, tone firm and solid. "I can assure you, you'll definitely find people that will love you and would never hate you. You already have me, Teuchi and Ayame, the Hokage, Kakashi, and we're just the first ones among many."

Naruto listened with rapt concentration, soaking every word like a dry sponge would soak water.

Rei heaved a heavy sigh as he prepared for the next critical reveal. "Citizens of Konoha still live in memories of the Kyuubi's attack from seven years ago," he explained and watched as the little blond's eyes widened. He clearly failed to link the Kyuubi from those scary stories to the big brother Kurama. "They lost their homes, friends, and family members that night. Their grief and terror blinds them. They are angry and scared, yet they can't let it go, and they focus all of their hate at you because you're carrying the beast that haunts their nightmares. It's wrong and it's unfair, but that's how human nature works."

"But… Uzushio will be different?" Naruto asked, hesitant and so hopeful, staring at his uncle like he was both his salvation and his worst fear.

"Uzushio will be different," Rei confirmed with sincerity. He would rather die than fail to provide a safe haven for his kid to grow up.

The boy beamed at him. "Kurama really hates us if he attacked the village," he mused after a moment.

"Kurama hates us, but that's not why the attack happened. Your mom—"

Naruto's whole being snapped into attention at the mention of his mother.

"—was the Jinchuuriki before you. During your birth, an enemy nin attacked your parents. He used the Genjutsu to enslave Kurama, ripped him out of the seal, and forced him to attack Konoha." Rei gently wiped off the stray tear that trickled down Naruto's cheek. "Your dad didn't have any other choice but seal the Kyuubi again. To save the village from destruction, to protect his family from being killed, and also to get Kurama away from the clutches of the enemy."

"My dad did—" Naruto breath hitched. "But why? Why me?"

"Because he had faith in you. He trusted his son to keep the Kyuubi from doing even more harm and at the same time to prevent the enemy from using him against his will."

"Oh…" Naruto stayed silent for a while before his childish features hardened with resolve. "Then… I'll do it, 'ttebayo!" he exclaimed, a conviction roaring through his veins. "I'll become strong! Strong enough to protect Kurama and make my parents proud!"

Rei broke into a bright grin and ruffled the young Jinchuuriki's hair. "I'm sure they already feel proud, I know I am."

As he tackled his uncle into an impromptu hug, Naruto laughed, happy and carefree and filled to the brim with feelings of being _loved_ and _cherished_. "Can you tell me more about my mom and dad?" he asked, still reveling in the warmth of his precious person.

"Hmm, let's see…" Rei trailed off, thinking. "Have you ever seen the Yondaime's photo?"

Naruto unwrapped himself from the older blond and leaned back so that he could blink at him in confusion. "Yeah? During a history lesson in the Academy. Iruka-sensei showed us the previous Hokage's pictures and told us about them," he chatted, getting hyped by the memory. "The Yondaime was so cool, 'ttebayo! Strong and kind and all sorts of awesome!"

Rei chuckled at the enthusiasm that spilled out of the boy in heaps. "And can you describe what he looks like?"

"Of course!" Naruto flashed a proud grin. "He has yellow hair and blue eyes… He looks just like you, Rei!"

The blond continued to look at the boy, an easy smile barely touching the corners of his mouth. The identical sky blue eyes gawked at him, and he could see when the gears began to whirr under that sunshine yellow mop. He knew that the kid was able to click all the puzzle pieces together.

"You-You're the Yondaime, 'ttebayo?!"

Rei spluttered, caught completely off guard. "No! He was my brother!" he blurted out. "You look just like him too!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before his mind registered the implication. "Brother? Look like him?" His mouth parted in shock as his head spun. "The Yondaime was my _dad_?" he whispered in awe.

"Yes, kiddo. His name was Minato Namikaze and your mom's name was Kushina Uzumaki. They loved you so much," the man said quietly. "Never doubt it."

Rei felt his own heart fracture at the distant memory of his parents. Two achingly familiar threads of chakra called out to him from the depths of Naruto's seal, so well hidden that no one would have noticed without knowing what to look for and lacking his extraordinary sensory abilities. So close, yet so far away.

One day, once Naruto and Kurama bonded with each other, he would let the boy see them. He could even make a seal that would allow their chakra imprints to stay for a bit longer. Shouldn't be too hard. The possibility to spend more time with each other would make Naruto and his parents so happy.

Being an outsider that didn't even belong to this world, Rei had no real place in this family's reunion. He would just sneak a glance at the two people that were his parents and at the same time weren't, and then let them have their moment.

"You look sad again," Naruto murmured, shifting slightly.

"Just thinking what exactly to tell you," Rei offered a white lie. "What about the story of how they've met each other?"

Naruto's eyes sparkled. "How?"

"Well, it all started…"

* * *

A couple of hours later, Rei and Naruto were still talking, the world beyond the small apartment momentarily forgotten. Their conversation flowed like a river, picking up momentum at some topics and slowing down in others.

Rei regained his focus when the memories from one of his shadow clones rushed in. The information about fulfilled tasks and other things from various places flowed in all the time, but unless it was of great importance, the original's mind sifted through the data without any outward signs of it happening at all. He was very good at multitasking.

This set of memories, however, was pretty crucial.

"I need to go," Rei said. He stood up, putting Naruto on his feet as he did.

The boy's expression fell. "Okay…"

"Well, _I_ have to go, but _he_ ," there was a pop sound as the older blond jabbed the thumb over his shoulder, "will stay."

Another Rei gave a cheery salute. "Yo!" When Naruto beamed at him, he squatted down in front of him with a mischievous grin. "Hey, tell me, am I your favorite shadow clone?"

Naruto just stared, his eyes darting back to look at what he knew was his real uncle a moment later.

Rei scowled at his copy and reprimanded, "Don't confuse him unnecessarily."

That earned him an annoyed glower. "Just go wherever you need to go, Boss. Shoo!" He made a shooing gesture. "Let me spend some time with my favorite nephew!"

Rei rolled his eyes. "See you later, Naruto." Shooting a stink eye at his own clone, he added, "Just punch him if he gets unbearable."

"Hey!"

The young Jinchuuriki grew bubbly with mirth at their silly exchange.

Rei patted the boy's head and reached deep into his mind for the specific Hiraishin marker way back in Uzushio.

A split second later, he stood in the middle of the spacious room.

Reacting to a new presence, intricate patterns of multi-layered wards on every inch of the floor blazed menacing red before dimming back into a barely visible blue luster. Another giant matrix on the low ceiling glowed soft yellow, illuminating the surroundings in its ethereal light.

It was a huge circular chamber. Walls were covered in murals with such details and precision that it came to life before the eyes of the lucky spectator. Scenes of battles long forgotten and monsters long extinct, images of dancing happy people and festivals to honor the sea, depictions of children being taught the secrets of the Sealing Art—the highlights of the Uzushiogakure history carved out of the mountain's innermost parts.

 _If they stand behind you, protect them.  
If they stand beside you, respect them.  
If they stand against you, destroy them._

Rei gazed at those words on the wall, carefully chiseled in the center of the huge Uzumaki spiral.

The secret vault of the Uzumaki clan still humbled him every time he visited. A place out of time, a majestic sanctuary, a place to recharge and forget the things the world said had to be done even if only for a brief reprieve.

Books, scrolls, other artifacts, and some random notably cherished personal items lined the sides of the chamber, thrown haphazardly into piles without any order. The Uzumakis of the past had no time to arrange them in order with the danger of annihilation looming over their heads and only worried about preserving their knowledge and wisdom for future generations.

In the future from where Rei came from, the blond read and memorized every single line in these treasures. It took a significant amount of time to sort through all of it; he was yet to finish tidying these valuables at this time.

The man glanced around before moving towards the stone table in the eye of the chamber. He examined an article of clothing laid neatly on top, then brushed a hand across its surface in slow motion, feeling a faint prickle of chakra on his fingertips. The seals were invisible, weaved in the very fabric of the material, each fiber becoming a part of the Fuuinjutsu at the highest master's level.

Rei shook off his current haori and picked up the new one. It was almost identical, short-sleeved and of burnt orange color decorated by black flames on the bottom edge, except the newly added design on the back—meticulously embroidered Uzushio name in black with the red Uzumaki spiral above it.

A grin spread on the blond's face as he looked over his new haori. It only grew bigger when he put it on. A few quick handseals and the entirety of the seals came to life. Pure power sizzled in the air, raw and sharp and imposing, till gradually settling down to a stable thrum against Rei's presence.

Deep inside, Rei could feel _it_ shifting as the pressure on its bindings increased, its rotten energy all but snarling as it was pushed back. He could still feel it though; crawling inside him, twisting and slithering, like larvae under his skin that he had no hope to get rid of.

Rei's eyes landed on the other item on the table—shiny new ninja headband, fixed on the black cloth. He swept a finger across the Uzu symbol displayed proudly on it and the grin returned to his face. The engraved patterns of yet another seal, another failsafe, were on the other side of the metal plate, fully concealed, but from the shadow clone's memories, the blond knew what a truly marvelous job Old Sho had done.

Tying the Uzushio headband around his head couldn't have felt more right for he was Rei Uzumaki now, the leader and the first official ninja of the newly rebuilt Uzushiogakure.


	11. Chapter 11

**Lest you fade here all alone**

Chapter 11

* * *

Shisui was hiding.

When Jiraiya came to him asking how he could find Rei Uzumaki for the first time, he felt amused. When the man kept pestering him, he got annoyed fairly quickly. The damn coot even offered porn as a reward. His personally written porn with autograph! Who the hell would want something like that?!

Shisui didn't feel amused anymore, not in the slightest. And Jiraiya was supposed to be one of the legendary Sannins? He completely ruined his own image!

All ninjas at the top of the food chain were plain wackos. Now the young jounin truly believed in the veracity of this statement.

Once the Toad Sage finally left him alone, the head of the Nara clan sneaked up on him in the market. Surprisingly, the man also asked how he could find Rei Uzumaki. When he answered that he didn't know, Nara stared at Shisui, face blank but eyes as sharp as any kunai, seemingly able to see through the Uchiha's soul and disassemble his mind and thoughts as if they were mere child toys. He felt justifiably intimidated.

The Hokage called for his presence then, politely ordering to tell Rei Uzumaki that he wanted to speak with him.

And if that was not enough, Anko Mitarashi broke into his apartment this morning.

Through his bathroom window.

While Shisui was taking a shower!

The way that crazy snake lady had sized his naked form up and cocked her eyebrow, a corner of her lips doing that thing it did when she found something funny, really ticked him off. Her unreasonable demand to reveal a method of contacting Rei Uzumaki was the last straw and he almost chucked Rei's kunai to her face.

They might have become friends, but Shisui didn't remember becoming the blond Uzumaki's secretary, dammit!

A random thought that Nara, Jiraiya or some other dude (like a certain youthful individual in a green jumpsuit; he shuddered at the image his imagination had conjured) could be the next one to fall through his bathroom window terrified Shisui to the deepest level. He immediately fled to one of the few Uchiha clan's private training grounds after that, choosing rather hone his Shurikenjutsu than to deal with this newly budding trauma.

Shisui always strived to be a good ninja, the best he could be. He still considered himself one of the many, nothing special. He minded his own business, tried to prevent his clan from rebelling to keep his village safe and assure Itachi's, his little brother in all but blood, happiness. Nothing out of the ordinary, right?

So when and how did his life turn this hectic? Oh, right. When a mummy bastard decided to steal his eyes and kill him. And that was the moment Rei Uzumaki popped into his life—

"Yo, Shisui!"

—out of seemingly nowhere.

An unexpected voice from behind at the critical moment of throwing the kunai startled Shisui. The flinch was small, just a tiny quiver of his hand, but such an abrupt arrival of another person still blindsided him. The perfectly aimed blade veered away from the dead center of a target and hit its edge instead.

"Wow. Your aim sucks."

Shisui spun on his heel, launching the second kunai at the speaker with deadly accuracy.

With casual ease, Rei snatched the weapon directed at his forehead out of the air. "That was mildly—" He dodged a slash of the tanto, moving out of the younger ninja's reach in an instant, and finished the sentence, "—dangerous?" with a raised eyebrow.

Shisui said nothing as the shiny new headband on the blond's head drew his attention. Sure, he had heard Rei's plans on rebuilding Uzushio. Heck, he had _seen_ the process himself during that one random abduction from the ANBU detention center. But this was the first time he realized the determination behind that goal. Rebuilding a ruined village, such a great and admirable ordeal. The teen sincerely wished his friend success.

Noticing the Uchiha's gaze on his new headpiece, Rei beamed. "What do you think?" He turned around to show the embroidery on the back of his orange haori. "Cool right? Now I look like the real leader of Uzushio!"

Shisui almost laughed at the genuine giddiness and unmistakable boasting in the other man's voice. Rei could be incredibly frivolous at times. Instead, he smothered his mirth and asked calmly, "You had a haircut?" A petulant glare he received in return made him grin. So worth it. "By the way," and here the teen couldn't help a miffed undertone slipping in as he spoke, "the Hokage, Jiraiya, Shikaku Nara, and Anko Mitarashi were looking for you."

The Uzumaki blinked. "I understand the first three," he said slowly, clearly confused. "But Anko too? How does she even know about me?"

"I'm not sure what exactly she wants." The fact that Rei apparently knew who Anko was didn't even surprise Shisui anymore. "And she knows because all jounins, ANBU, and Police were informed about your occasional presence around the Jinchuuriki and the village and received orders not to engage unless they deem your actions a threat to Konoha or its citizens."

Carelessly twirling the kunai that Shisui had thrown at him earlier around his finger, Rei mulled over new information. Ultimately a thoughtful, "Huh," left his mouth before one corner of it quirked up. "Sarutobi finally made a decision. Good to hear."

With the message passed, Shisui proceeded with his spontaneous stress relief plan. Wordlessly, he made the Seal of Confrontation.

"Oh? Want me to play with you?" Rei slipped his finger out of the hook of the spinning kunai and caught it in a reverse grip. Meanwhile, his other hand formed the seal in a counterpoint of his opponent's as a sign of acceptance of this friendly spar. "Then show me what you've got, Uchiha."

It sounded like a sly little dare. A savage grin on the blond's face, however, didn't fit with his relatively innocent tone. As if a beast that had been dormant inside had just opened its eyes and bared its teeth, ready for a thrilling hunt.

A terrible chill ran down Shisui's spine. Black bled to red as his Sharingan spun to life and he consciously had to stop himself from letting it morph straight into the Mangekyou.

Rei was strong, beyond anyone or anything the young jounin had ever encountered. Dangerous too, he knew, instinctive and bone-deep. Unbelievably so. At the same time, it felt as if the man wasn't even there, just a mirage without the tiniest flicker of chakra, yet it was like sitting in the spacious dark cave: you couldn't see the walls, but the air tasted of an unimaginably large presence.

Adrenaline pumped through Shisui's veins at the prospect of testing himself against such a person. His heart fluttered, every fiber of his being vibrating in anticipation. All the mundane worries of his life got muted, pushed aside, and all there was to know about was this moment. No worrying about the past, no anxiety about the future.

A time came to a halt as the two opponents stared each other down with Rei seemingly content on waiting for the Uchiha to make the first move.

Taking all the details and assessing possible battle plans in a mere fraction of a second, Shisui finally made a move. Shurikens whizzed towards the blond, a few kunai following suit.

Rei deflected half of the shuriken and avoided the rest, his eyes flicking suspiciously at the kunai that went past him in a weird angle, intended to hit the target yet simultaneously missing it by a hair's breadth.

Shisui jerked his hand back the moment those kunai embedded into the ground. Ninja wire screeched as it wrapped itself around the blond. A poof and it sliced through a log that appeared in the man's place.

Shisui brought the wire to his left, parrying a slash from Rei, and immediately counterattacked. They traded several blows, blades clashing with a sharp ding. The teen flipped out of the way, sheathing his tanto mid-move in order to blaze through the handseals. Chakra swirled in his stomach, rising up, burning his throat. The moment it became almost unbearable, he took a deep breath and then released a torrent of roaring fire.

Shisui anticipated the Uzumaki to move out of the way and already calculated all possible escape routes.

The man didn't flee though. He lifted the arm with the kunai closer to his opposite shoulder, successfully hiding one-hand seals he formed behind it from the line of sight of Shisui's Sharingan. Then he brought the kunai diagonally in one swift motion, unleashing a crescent compressed wind projectile that cleaved the giant fireball in half. It didn't stop there and plowed straight towards the Uchiha.

In the end, Shisui was the one who had to duck out of the way. The moment he looked back at Rei, his eyes widened. Two smaller fireballs, the remnants of his own jutsu, swirled around the blond's body, carried by the latter's controlled air currents, and got propelled directly back at Shisui with double their initial speed.

The Uchiha vanished in a swirl of chakra, using shunshin to land in the tree at the edge of the training ground, his mind buzzing. Hijacking his opponent's jutsu and using it against their caster? Brilliant maneuver and the one he had never seen done in such manner.

The branch Shisui took a perch on dipped ever so slightly and the flat side of the kunai patted his cheek. The teen stiffened for just an instant before kicking his leg backward.

Rei grabbed the Uchiha's leg by his ankle. He was forced to release it immediately in order to dodge another slash of the tanto aimed at his own legs.

Shisui dropped from the air to a crouched position. In a blink of an eye, he blasted off the ground and back into the tree.

Empty.

The jounin held his breath, every muscle frozen tense and ready, and scanned the surroundings. Nothing. He rearranged his fingers on the handle of his weapon, feeling his palm getting sweaty.

Where the heck was Rei? And how should he go about finding an opponent that had no perceptible presence? Like fighting a ghost.

The forest was silent. The birds that should have chirped happily all around where nowhere to be found. Besides an occasional gust of wind rustling the leaves, everything stood still.

The skin on the back of Shisui's neck crawled with the sensation of being watched. It set every instinct he had on edge.

This was a hunting game and he was a prey.

Not something he had wished to experience, ever.

The teen turned left when he caught a flash of orange at the corner of his eye. He barely had time to cross his arms to block a punch. The sheer force behind that blow almost sent the young ninja flying, his chakra sticking his feet to the surface of the branch the only thing keeping him on it.

Rei disappeared like the wind between numerous leaves.

Just as Shisui felt the numbness in his limbs receding, the blond was on him again, choosing an ambush from the opposite side. The Uchiha didn't trust his own bones to take another of his punches, so he dodged it by jumping back.

Rei didn't retreat this time. With kunai in hand, he closed on for another taijutsu battle. Shisui was quick to respond, their strikes, parries, and dodges a blur of motion.

Soon, the blond's lips quirked upwards into a wicked little smirk and then he was gone in a flash again.

Rei was lightning fast, unfathomably powerful, and obviously had years of experience on the young Uchiha, but the latter wasn't a pushover or a quitter. He was not about to miss this great opportunity to improve himself.

His neck prickled again.

As good a time as any to change tactics.

Taking a breath, Shisui built up the necessary chakra. It spread across the muscles of his legs, scraping his bones, and all the way to his ankles, the soles and tips of his toes. Eyes wide and mind alert, he leaped forward.

* * *

A bit over an hour later, Shisui allowed himself to fall into an exhausted sprawl in the middle of the training ground, blades of grass tickling his skin. He lost count of how many times he would have died during this spar if this was a real fight. The Uzumaki simply overwhelmed him every single time.

Shisui ached all over and his limbs were slightly trembling from such an intense workout. It had been ages since he pushed his body and his mind this far. A pleasant feeling of satisfaction pooled inside the depth of his gut and a content sigh left his lungs.

He would have probably dozed off if not for the feather-light footfalls that stopped a few feet from his head. Opening his eyes, black again, Shisui wasn't surprised to meet Rei's inquisitive blue ones. What irked him, however, was that the bastard looked as cool and unruffled as ever, standing there serenely without even sweating.

"I give up," the teen croaked, mustering the smidgen of strength still left in him to lift his arm up and offer the Seal of Reconciliation.

Rei's expression shifted, softened as he locked his fingers with the younger ninja. After that, he passed the kunai into Shisui's hand.

The Uchiha stared at it dumbly. Was this… Was this the first kunai he threw before their spar, the one Rei had caught? He used only this one tiny thing in their spar all this time?!

Shisui felt like screaming. Like throwing a damn tantrum to show the world how unfair it was! There should be a limit on how ridiculously strong a human could be!

"Aww, are you pouting?" the said human teased, a smirk dancing on his face.

Shisui definitely— _definitely!_ —was _not_ pouting. He was not a kid. He was also an Uchiha and Uchihas did not pout, period. He was way too classy to pout in general!

Except, at this very moment, he wasn't and he kinda did.

"Hn."

There. An appropriate, perfectly Uchiha-like response. His clan would be proud.

The man possessed this baffling ability to make him feel like a kid. Not an entirely unwelcome sentiment, he had to admit to himself. It was liberating to behave like a teenager he was supposed to be rather than a hardened jounin with the weight of his clan's survival on his shoulders.

Rei looked like he couldn't decide whether to laugh at his friend's brief flare of childish defiance or give only a helpless smile. "You did very well, trust me," he assured, settling on the second option. "No wonder I've heard so much about your speed. Though your reaction on your right seems a bit slower than on your left. It's easier to sneak an attack on you from that side. You should take note of it."

It had been years since the last time someone used that kind of tone on Shisui. Kind and patient, like a sensei imparting knowledge to his pupil. "Alright." It wasn't an unpleasant feeling either. "Thanks, Rei."

"How bad is your eyesight by now, Shisui?"

The teen's brow furrowed. "It's fine," he grumbled, a tad bit too fast. There was also an edge in his voice that he didn't quite mean to put there.

Shisui was painfully aware of the fact that Kotoamatsukami put an immense strain on his eyes. More so than the other Mangekyou Sharingan manifestations. His right eye seemed to be worse than his left one, Rei's observation only proved it. The prospect of becoming a blind Uchiha terrified him, but if that was a cost he had to pay in order to protect his loved ones, he would do it gladly.

Shisui pushed himself up into a sitting position and turned around so that he could see Rei. "Your ability to hide your presence is much more interesting," he said, feeling petty for a change. A ninja would never reveal his secrets, so Rei's silence would balance their positions in reluctance to share.

The blond watched him, head tilted slightly to the side as he examined the teen's features. The silence stretched on, but it never seemed to cross into an uncomfortable zone.

"Natural energy."

Shisui perked up, curious and a bit surprised that Rei actually decided to reveal it.

"It's the energy that exists all around us. In the ground we step on, in the grass we choose to sit, in the trees surrounding us, in the rivers, in the sky, in the smallest critter and the biggest mammal. We breathe it in and breathe it out. It's always here. You're born in it, you live in it, and eventually, you're going to die in it."

Rei spoke like a scholar, Shisui mused, or like a wise man so much older than his physical age.

"I can manipulate this natural energy, so I use it to cloak myself. That's why you can't sense me. I'm just a part of the background, a white noise, a natural constant that is always around you and inside you," the man continued his explanation. "I can stroll through Konoha without anyone detecting me because if they aren't actively aware of my presence in the vicinity, I'm nothing to them. So below their notice level that their brains simply don't register my existence even if their eyes do."

That, honestly, sounded really awesome and extremely dangerous. "Are you talking about the Senjutsu?"

"Sages learn to draw natural energy inside their bodies and blend it with their own chakra. This is different. I can manipulate it outside my body." The blond took a moment to consider. "Although, a person in Sage Mode should be able to sense the abnormality in natural energy's flow, hence able to track my position."

"Is it a bloodline limit?"

Blue eyes studied the Uchiha for a moment, then flickered away. "No, it's…" The set of Rei's mouth shifted to something faintly wry. "An unexpected aftereffect of something that happened to me a long time ago." After a short pause, he added, "This is also why people usually feel at ease in my presence unless I wish otherwise. Just adds to my natural charms!"

Shisui snorted at Rei's mischievous grin that appeared with his last words. It reminded him of their first meeting, the night this man saved his life. At that time, he would have never believed that they would become friends.

Rei abruptly looked to the side and Shisui instinctively followed his line of sight.

A moment later, Itachi emerged from the forest, jumping down to stand next to his fellow Uchiha. The boy performed a quick up-down scan of his friend, taking note of his disheveled appearance, with some dirt smudging his clothes and a few rips here and there. His brow slightly creased and lips thinned into a hard line.

Shisui couldn't help but smile warmly when Itachi fixed Rei with a suspicious glare on his behalf. "We just finished our spar, Itachi," he placated the younger ninja, extending his arm in a mute request to help him up. Itachi complied without moving his eyes from the blond.

Rei stared back at the boy, equally intense, and, dared Shisui to say, with something akin to sadness swirling in his gaze. "I hope your eyes will never evolve into the Mangekyou Sharingan," he finally uttered, quiet and somber. "You're better off without it."

Itachi tensed, eyes narrowing. A clear sign of his raised hackles.

"I actually agree," Shisui blurted out. He ignored the somewhat betrayed look his adoptive little brother threw at him. Even if the reason for Rei to voice it out of the blue eluded him, the conditions to awaken Mangekyou simply weren't something he wished Itachi to go through, regardless of the spike in power it offered. "Itachi, this is Rei Uzumaki, the man I told you about."

"Ah, the Golden Ghost," the boy said as if that made any sense. He tipped his head in polite greeting if still a bit stiffly. "Nice to meet you, Uzumaki-san."

"Nice to meet you too," Rei replied. "But what's this about the Golden Ghost?"

Itachi blinked. "You don't know?" he inquired as he slipped his hand into his weapon pouch and pulled out a small book. "I came to find you to show you this, Shisui."

The older Uchiha took the item. "Iwa's Bingo Book?"

"The last page."

Rei sidled up to Shisui to peek at it as the teen flipped to an indicated page.

"Are you kidding me?!" the blond exclaimed as he swept through the written content. "What's up with that miserable amount? Can you even call it a bounty?!"

Shisui shook his head with a smile. Leave it to this guy to be worried about the _price_ on his head over the fact that he _had_ a price on his head. "What did you do in Iwa?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Nothing special." Rei shrugged. "I broke into their high-security area while searching for things they might have stolen from Uzushio."

"They must be really good to be able to catch you," Shisui observed. He didn't know what was more impressive—the Uzumaki breaking into the high-security area or the fact that he managed to escape unscathed.

"Eh, they're not that good… Not better than Kumo or Kiri," the man muttered. "I kinda found something interesting to read and lost track of time."

Two Uchihas gawked at him like he grew a second head.

"Whoa, wait…" Shisui held up his hand in a universal 'stop right there' sign. "Are you saying that you'd just hung around Iwa's high-security area, _reading_ , and they chanced upon you in the morning?"

"Er, yeah?" At least Rei had the decency to appear sheepish before he hurried to defend himself. "It was a very good read! Something I didn't yet know about Uzushio traditions!"

Shisui burst out laughing.

"How do they know your name?" Itachi wondered.

That was a good question, the older Uchiha wanted to know too. It stood to reason that no one would be brazen enough to introduce themselves in that kind of incriminating situation.

"I told them."

Or not.

"What? They asked who I was!"

Evidently, the reason did not stand with Rei Uzumaki.

"Still," the blond glowered at the page as if wanting to incinerate an offending string of numbers. "I like the moniker, but the bounty is just too miserable. Should I place a seal on Oonoki's butt for him to stop underestimating m—" Rei abruptly cut himself off, touched his chin and let out a thoughtful 'hmm'.

Shisui sent a silent prayer for the Tsuchikage's butt. Not a thing he had ever imagined doing, but… Well, he was a person with sympathy. Having Rei Uzumaki after your ass didn't sound fun or healthy for your sanity. He was a wild card, unpredictable to the extreme, and could drive someone up the wall as easily as he could kill them.

Itachi's adamant gaze burned ' _Are you sure this person can help us?_ ' letter by letter into the side of Shisui's skull. He looked at the younger Uchiha, conveying ' _Everything will be fine,_ ' with a single glance.

Rei straightened, sharp and sudden, alarming two young ninjas. Cerulean eyes darkened with unspoken rage and on the next blink he was already gone.

Shisui had been on the receiving end of that vanishing act, but to see Rei there, solidly and definitely present in one moment and gone the next, was unnerving no matter how many times he had witnessed it. No wonder Itachi flinched when usually the kid would take in even the most bizarre things with no outward reaction.

Something or someone made Rei angry.

Shisui racked his brain to recall what laid in the direction the blond's attention seemed to snap before he teleported away. As far as he knew, nothing significant. A few rural villages lost in the endless sea of trees that stretched across the great expanse of the Fire Country all the way to the border with the River Country and the Wind Country looming just beyond it.

* * *

 **A/N**

This was my second time writing a longer and more detailed fight (spar) scene in Naruto fic. Oof. I hope it was at least somewhat decent!


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